The Pit: Rewrite
by ShadowRebirth37
Summary: CC. Raven is punished and locked in a room with three Organoids. The creatures attack him after seeing he's injured. Rescued by an unlikely savior named Lied, Raven thinks he's safe with her. But what are Lied's true intentions? Bad summery. Please R & R!
1. The Room

**AN**- Hello, ShadowRebirth37 here!! Well… at first I wasn't going to post this, but the more I wrote it, the more I wanted to upload it. This was my original idea for _**The Pit**_, and will be much darker than the other version, believe it or not. I'm trying my best to keep Raven in character, but it's hard, in the situation that he's in. Please keep an open mind with this, I really didn't want to post this, but upon further writing and the encouragement of a few of my author friends, I decided to try it out. This first chapter is going to be a little on the short side, but the next chapters are going to be longer. Anyway, here's chapter 1- The Room.

**Disclaimer**- Nope, I do not own Zoids. I do, however, own Lied, Gryph, Glyph, this fic, its storyline, the plot, and all that jazz. XP

* * *

_**.:Chapter 1- The Room:.**_

Prozen, Major Schubaltz and a group of soldiers walked through the back halls of the palace. The soldiers were half carrying, half dragging Raven, whom was unconscious. Karl looked back at Raven, an upset expression on his face.

"Does it have to be this way?" Karl asked Prozen, glancing back at the unconscious teen.

"Yes, Major, he needs to face the consequences of his actions…" Prozen replied, showing no emotion in his voice.

"But this way?!" Karl said, "Why can't we use some other method? One that's less like… torture?"

"I'm afraid this is the only way…" Prozen replied, faking regret in his voice.

"But it wasn't his fault in the first place!!" Karl shouted, narrowing his emerald eyes angrily.

"Yes it was, Major, he shirked repairing his Zaber Fang's damage after we told him to, and it led to the Zoid's destruction against the Shield Liger. Zaber Fangs aren't cheap, and he needs to be punished." Prozen retorted, glaring at the Major. Karl opened his mouth to argue further, but shut it, realizing no matter what he said it wouldn't change Raven's fate.

Raven groaned weakly, moving his arm slightly. The soldiers grew extremely nervous by Raven's movement, terrified of the thought of him waking up. Prozen noticed this, and turned around to face them.

"Don't worry; he's not waking up anytime soon, he's got enough sedatives in him to keep him under for hours…" Prozen said, turning around and continuing down the dimly lit hallway. Karl flinched visibly at his words, but didn't say anything.

A few minutes later, they reached the Pit, which was behind a simple, unassuming dark colored door. The heavy metal reinforcing did show, however, that something strong or dangerous was on the other side. Prozen pressed a button on the door, punching in a sequence of code that unlocked the door.

The heavy door opened with a hiss, revealing the dark room. There was a four-foot drop-off at the beginning of the door, four steps leading down to the floor. The room led deep into the darkness, the end of which was invisible to the group. The room was unusually dark, partly attributed to the dark black-violet color of the paint. A low growl rumbled from deep within the room, coming from one of the three permanent occupants of the room.

The deep-throated rumbling growl sent chills down Karl's spine, and so did the sounds of movement from deep in the room, out of his sight. He watched as the soldiers carried Raven into the dark room, disappearing into dimness.

"Now, the things won't… kill him, will they?" Karl asked, looking over at Prozen.

"Major, I don't want to kill my best Zoids pilot…" Prozen replied sarcastically, watching the soldiers in the dim room.

"But, they won't seriously hurt him, right? Especially after the incident a few years back?" Karl inquired, glancing back at the room.

"No, no…" Prozen replied, "… at most a moderate cut, maybe a bite or two. They'll only nip and nibble at him, at most draw and taste a little blood, nothing more, unless he's already injured."

"But they're big, why don't they eat him?" Karl asked; deep down worried about what the answer might be.

"They're Organoids, Major, they don't need to eat." Prozen answered.

"But that doesn't mean they won't…" Karl said quietly, growing slightly nervous as he heard another growl, this time closer.

"They won't, they have no need to, and Raven won't let them…" Prozen answered his question.

"How long is he going to be in there? Not a long time, right?" Karl stated, hearing yet another growl.

"Just overnight, we'll let him out tomorrow before noon." Prozen reassured him, though Karl didn't like the idea of him being in the cold room overnight. With that, the soldiers reappeared in the doorway, Raven not with them. Karl grew worried when he saw a soldier with a knife.

"Hey! What did you do?!" Karl snapped, glaring at the soldier.

"Nothing sir, I was just putting my knife away." The soldier answered nervously. Karl narrowed his eyes, not believing the soldier's claim. He pushed past the soldier and jumped down the steps into the dark room, blinking at the sudden darkness. He could hear a strange noise off to his right, and saw movement directly in front of him. The scraping of claws against stone meant something was very close, and whatever-it-was was hiding just out of sight.

Karl blinked and looked around the dark room, trying to find where they had put Raven. He saw something in the corner and walked towards it, and sure enough it was Raven. He was leaning against the wall, his hands tied tightly together.

"This is too far…" Karl muttered, pulling out his switchblade. He quickly cut the ropes, tossing them aside and folding back the blade. He checked his pulse and temperature, just making sure he was okay. _'I hope he didn't receive any injuries during the explosion… those creatures will be all over him if he's hurt…'_ Karl thought, biting his lower lip in worry. He pushed his switchblade into Raven's gloved hand, not wanting to leave the boy with the creatures without a weapon.

"Good luck Raven…" he said quietly, standing up and walking back out into the hallway. He glanced back as he walked out, watching for any of the creatures. To his surprise, a pair of milk-white eyes stared back at him, but before he could so much as blink, the door closed with a _click_.

"Now… you're sure he wasn't injured in the explosion?" Karl said, not looking away from the heavy door.

"He didn't tell me about any injuries, and he didn't seem to be in any pain when we talked." Prozen shrugged, and that made Karl nervous. "He'll be fine, this is Raven we're talking about…"

The soldiers and Prozen disappeared down the hallways, but Karl didn't. He felt like something wasn't right, but he wasn't sure what. He looked down at the floor, and his blood ran cold, for on the floor, was a small, nearly invisible drop of blood.

"He _is_ injured!" Karl gasped, now worried for the young Zoids pilot. He tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. He knew there was no way to open it until tomorrow, and the only thing he could do for Raven was pray.

Just before he walked off, he thought he could hear growling coming from the behind the heavy door…

* * *

**AN**- Please, no yelling, harsh words or flames, I don't think I can take it. I'm physically and mentally run-down from school, so I'm really sensitive right now. I don't really like this chapter, but the next one will be better, and have the Organoids make their appearance and such. I think I may discontinue the old version of _**The Pit**_. Do any of you want me to continue that version? Anyway, I hope you liked this! Please leave a nice review!!

**All flamers will be thrown into the Pit!!**

**I will reply to anonymous reviews in my profile. I love to have anonymous reviewers!!**

I will update soon, and plan to try to get some of my other fics up-to-date as well.

**Ibeyla ;D**


	2. Chilling Memories

**AN**- I told you I would update soon! I'm rather surprised with the good response this fic is getting, personally I thought y'all would hate it. I'm happy to be proved wrong. XP lol. I'm very happy with this fic's reception, and I'm very glad that you guys like it!! Well, I won't keep you any longer.

* * *

It was several hours later before Raven so much as stirred, recovering from the effects of the sedative. He groaned and blinked his eyes open, his vision cloudy from the medicine. His body was sore and painful from the explosion, and the sedative made him dizzy. He tried to move, but his body felt sluggish and heavy still from the sedative.

Raven looked around the dark room, trying to figure out where he was. The dimness of the room and the dark paint told him exactly where he was. _'Great…'_he groaned, sitting up slightly. He put his hand over his left side, covering the gash he had received from a piece of the Zaber Fang's glass eyes. He felt warm blood, but strangely not a lot of pain.

'_Whatever they gave me to knock me out must block out the pain… and restrict my movement so I can't get out or defend myself from the creatures…'_Raven thought darkly, hearing the scraping of claws on stone somewhere in front of him. He thought back to when he had watched a group of soldiers put a prisoner in the room, back before Prozen had trained him to kill, just weeks after he had arrived at the palace, when he was only eight years old…

* * *

_Flashback_

"_Why are you putting him in there, Prozen? Why don't you just put him in a cell?" Raven asked, watching the soldiers carry the tied prisoner into the dark room._

"_He managed to get out of his cell and killed a guard, so we're putting him in the Pit…" Prozen replied._

"_What's so bad about a dark room? It's no different than being in a cell." Raven inquired, wondering why it was so bad._

"_Well… there are a couple creatures in there, a special kind of Zoid called an 'Organoid'. They are very inquisitive, and poke and nip at anything new, which most people don't like." Prozen answered._

"_But why don't they run out or attack the soldiers putting in the prisoners?" Raven asked, curious as to why they didn't escape or attack._

"_They're extremely shy of people, and whenever people enter the room they run and hide. They only come up to people who don't move or don't seem threatening, like when someone is asleep or unconscious or tired. They also don't like bright light, so when they open the door the Organoids will back off and won't come back until the light is gone." Prozen answered._

"_Can I go in? I want to see one of these things." Raven asked, looking over at the man. Prozen nodded, and Raven stepped into the dark room. He saw the Major helping the other soldiers, and he looked back into the darkness of the room. Unable to see anything, he started walking back into the dark. Raven could hear something moving around in front of him, but he couldn't see what it was._

_Suddenly, he tripped over something and fell forward, landing hard on his knees. The ground cut up his knees, drawing blood. Raven bit his lip to keep from crying out, but the pain brought tears to his eyes. He heard a shuffling behind him, and heard the sound of claws scraping on the floor._

_Raven heard a low growl, now in front of him, and felt the breathing of some creature. He looked up, and found himself staring into two bright, milky eyes. He froze and stared wide-eyed at the Organoid, which stood a full three feet taller than him._

_The Organoid looked like a dinosaur, and had sharp teeth and claws. It was covered in odd whitish markings, and its throat and belly were a bright cream color. Raven scrambled to his feet, back stepping away from the creature. It cocked its head and leaned towards him, blinking its glowing eyes. It growled softly and lowered its head; bring it to within Raven's reach._

_Raven blinked and stared at the Organoid, surprised it hadn't hurt him. Slowly, he shakily reached out towards the creature's snout. His hand touched smooth, warm metal, different than the cold armor of Zoids, like he had been expecting. The Organoid made an almost purring noise, closing its glowing eyes. Raven chuckled slightly, the creature's purr vibrating through his arm._

_Without warning, another Organoid appeared beside the first one, staring at him with pale orangish eyes. Raven withdrew his hand at the second creature's appearance, growing worried that he now had two of the three creatures interested in him. He remembered how Prozen said that they liked to poke and bite, and seeing how big their teeth were made him very nervous._

_He started to back away from the pair, but he ran into something. He looked up, and saw the third creature staring down at him with glowing reddish eyes. Raven quickly spun around, and realized that the creatures had him surrounded. He began to panic, knowing he couldn't get away._

"_Major!!" Raven cried when the whitish-eyed Organoid stepped towards him, panicking as it leaned towards him. The creature growled and nosed his left shoulder, sniffing him curiously. The orange-eyed one leaned towards him and nipped at his shirt, causing him to yelp. The white-eyed Organoid hissed and snapped at the orange-eyed one, lowering its head between Raven and the other creature, lightly nudging him away._

"_Raven?" Major Schubaltz yelled, turning away from the other soldiers. Raven turned back to the direction he had came and tried to answer, but he didn't, not wanting to yell for fear of startling or aggravating the creatures. The white-eyed Organoid growled softly and nuzzled the back of his shoulder, gently nibbling his shirt. Raven moved his arm, pulling his shirt from the Organoid's jaws. The Organoid snorted loudly, ruffling his hair and making him jump slightly._

"_Help!!" Raven shouted, the reddish-eyed one leaning towards him with its mouth open. He put up his arms in defense, shutting his eyes. The Organoid growled and bit at his right arm, its sharp teeth cutting him, and then knocked him over, causing him to fall over onto his back at the white-eyed Organoid's feet with a yelp._

_The white-marked creature looked down, staring at him with its glowing eyes. The Organoid leaned down, jaws open widely. Raven once again put his arms up for defense, squeezing his eyes shut and whimpering in terror, shrieking as he felt the creature's jaws close on his bitten arm. Surprisingly, he didn't feel any pain, only the wet softness of its mouth and the warmth of its breath. He opened his eyes, shocked that he didn't feel its sharp teeth._

"_Hey!! Get away from him!!" Major Schubaltz shouted, seeing the creatures hovering over Raven. The white-eyed Organoid released Raven's arm and snapped its head up, taking a step away. The other two Organoids ran at his approach, disappearing into the room. The white-eyed one made a threatening, throaty noise at the Major, before it too turned and ran, vanishing into the darkness. Karl ran over to Raven and kneeled down to him, looking him over._

"_Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" Karl asked quietly as Raven sat up, not finding any major injuries._

"_The red-eyed one bit me, and the white-eyed one had its jaws on my arm." Raven answered, holding out his bleeding right arm. Major Schubaltz lightly held his arm and inspected the wound, pulling out a small cloth from his pocket._

"_Don't worry Raven, it's just a little scratch, and the white-eyed one didn't even hurt you…" Karl tried to calm Raven down as he wrapped the cloth loosely around his arm, tying it gently. Raven pulled his arm back as soon as he finished, looking at the bandage curiously._

_Suddenly, the soldiers started yelling and shouting, causing both Raven and Major Schubaltz to turn. They watched as the prisoner somehow got free and fought through the soldiers, bolting out the door. Before the soldiers could reach him, he slammed the door shut, activating the security lock. They were all trapped in the Pit, with no way to get out until tomorrow morning._

"_Major… what's going on?!" Raven asked, looking at Karl, fear and confusion in his eyes._

"_We're locked in… until tomorrow morning…" Karl said quietly, still looking at the door. He got up and helped Raven to his feet, and led him back to the soldiers. The small group was in a panic, on edge at the thought of the creatures._

"_At ease men, they won't hurt you when you're awake and moving." Karl said sternly, and at his voice the soldiers stopped and listened._

"_But… wasn't Raven just attacked?" one said, pointing to Raven, who was standing next to Karl._

"_Yes… but he's young enough that they weren't threatened by him, but you do threaten them, and they won't come anywhere near you while you're awake. But if you fall asleep they will get closer. That means we will need to stay awake as long as possible, because there is no way to get that door open, even from the outside, until tomorrow." Karl said, though his answer didn't calm the nervous soldiers, and just made Raven more nervous. The soldiers all settled into one corner of the room, keeping their backs to the wall so the creatures didn't sneak up on them from behind._

"_I'll keep a look out for the creatures over here." Karl said, walking over to the opposite corner, where he had a better view of the dark room. Raven followed him and sat down next to him, scared that the creatures would come after him. He must have shown it outwardly, for he felt Major Schubaltz lay his arm over his shoulders._

"_Don't worry Raven; I won't let them get to you…" Karl said, looking down at him, smiling, "… I promise…"_

_End of flashback_

* * *

Raven was brought back to reality by the sound of movement in front of him, and he lifted his head, scanning the darkness for the source. He could just barely make out a figure in the darkness, disappearing back further into the room. Raven knew how the Pit was laid out, for it used to be a wing of the palace. There were several rooms, none of which had doors or windows, and had no blankets or anything to keep him warm in the coming cold of the night.

Already the air was growing cold, and he knew it was only a matter of time before the temperature completely dropped. Raven lowered his head and closed his eyes, still drowsy from the sedative. He sighed and allowed himself to relax, slowing becoming unaware of his surroundings as the sedative took control again. He knew the creatures would be all over him from his wounds and his lack of movement, but there was nothing he could do to protect himself.

He moved his hand slightly, and something fell to the floor with a soft _click_. Raven looked down, and was surprised to see a switchblade. _'What? They took my knife and pistol… wait, this is Major Schubaltz's knife… how did I get it?'_ Raven thought, picking up the small weapon. _'I'll thank him later… __if__ I see him later…'_ Raven thought grimly, knowing the creatures would attack him due to his injuries.

Raven remembered how Prozen had ordered an injured soldier be put in the Pit for one night, despite Karl's warnings. The creatures knew he was injured, and no longer viewed him as a threat. They attacked and nearly killed the soldier, and when they came to retrieve him, the creatures were literally eating the soldier alive. That soldier had only had a slight cut on his arm, bandaged, and the creatures nearly killed and ate him. Raven had an open, bleeding gash on his side and was heavily sedated; he was easy prey to the creatures, and he knew it.

A low growl from the darkness caught Raven's attention, and he lifted his head. _'They shouldn't be awake so early… they're mainly nocturnal…'_ Raven thought, hearing claws brushing against the cold metal of the floor.

Raven knew it was only a matter of time before the creatures would grow curious, and if they discovered his injuries, he was as good as dead…

_**.:End of Chapter 2:.**_

* * *

**AN**- Please don't yell at me! I know it's bad and that its stupid, and I may just delete it. For some reason, there is something about this fic that I don't like. I didn't mean for Prozen to seem so evil, personally, I sorta like the CC Prozen, so I feel a little bad about making him sorta the 'bad guy' in this fic. I still kinda like this fic, but I've had a complaint about Prozen already. I'm really sorry about that, but I never meant for him to appear to be cruel or abusive or anything of the sort. Sorry if nothing really exciting happened in this chapter, but I promise, the next chapter will be better, with violence, blood, and other stuff. XP I'll update soon, I promise!!

I also have a new idea in the '**New fic idea**' section of my profile.

**Ibeyla ;D**


	3. Attack

**AN**- Hello, ShadowRebirth37 here!! Alright guys, this is the big chapter. Here things happen. Bad things. Lol. Here is where you will truly meet Lied, the white-eyed Organoid. You'll get to learn more of Raven's connection to the Organoid in the next chapter. The ending may be confusing, but it'll be made clear next chapter. Warning!!: this chapter is going to be _very_ bloody and violent. I just wanted to give you that warning.

**Important!!-** Raven may seem OOC in this chapter, but this is intentional. Remember, Raven is heavily sedated, and that means he's not thinking straight and will act strange. I myself have been put under and sedated for medical procedures and surgeries, so I am writing this from first-hand experience. So don't flame me about it!! Anyway, I hope you enjoy!! ;D

Btw, Karl's flashback is tied in to events that you do not yet know. These events will be explained in later chapters. Just wanted to let you know, so ya don't get confused. XP

* * *

Major Schubaltz paced in his quarters, half-panicked and worried sick. He knew Raven was injured, and he knew that was a death sentence. Even with the switchblade he had left him, Karl knew Raven was no match for the much bigger, powerful creatures. He was very worried; especially when he thought back to the incident back when Raven was eight, when they had been locked in the Pit overnight.

"I hope that white-eyed one doesn't discover him… Raven will think it hasn't changed and try to get its attention… he doesn't know…" Karl muttered, worried that Raven might make a huge mistake and call out to the creature.

Karl knew what Raven did not. A few years back, after the incident, a group of soldiers went into the Pit with orders directly from Prozen, orders to kill it. The group consisted of five highly trained and heavily armed soldiers, more than capable of taking down the powerful creature. Karl had followed them, ordered to go with them since he had encountered the Organoid before. They managed to corner the creature after one of the soldiers shot it in the throat, hoping to finish it quickly so the other creatures wouldn't be attracted.

Their hopes were dashed, and only a miracle saved Karl from death that day…

* * *

_Flashback_

_The small group of soldiers had the marbled Organoid cornered, the wounded creature slated for death by Prozen himself. The heavily armed soldiers lifted their rifles and took aim, one of them taking a step towards the crouched Organoid._

"_By orders from Prozen, you are to be executed for attacking and severely injuring Raven." The soldier stated, the others cocking their rifles. The creature roared and shook its head, almost as if trying to say 'no!'. Karl didn't like seeing the creature so distressed, and for some reason he felt it was innocent, despite what it had done to him. The Organoid roared and looked straight at him, its milk-white eyes seemed to pierce right into his soul._

"_Ready… aim… f-" the soldier was cut-off by the creature, which pounced. The Organoid killed him instantly, mercifully breaking his neck. Before any of the soldiers could react, the Organoid struck again and again, taking out the other four in the blink of an eye._

_Karl stared, in total shock. The highly trained soldiers lay dead at the creature's feet, its eyes now fixed on him. The creature snarled, and before Karl could even blink, was upon him, knocking him to the ground. His pistol fell from his hand, sent spinning across the smooth metal floor by a flick of the creature's tail. The Organoid pinned his arms and body, rendering him defenseless and unable to move._

_The creature snarled in his face, digging its claws into his arms, making him cry out in pain. It didn't kill him like it had the others, instead, it just stood on top of him, snarling and roaring. The Organoid's weight was literally crushing him, compressing his lungs and making it all but impossible to breathe. He struggled to stay conscious, and tried desperately to think up a plan._

_Suddenly, his communicator sparked to life, and Raven's voice was barely heard over the creature's roars. The creature froze and stopped growling, as if listening to Raven's faint voice. The young boy's voice seemed to calm the Organoid, which started swooshing its powerful tail like a dog. Even though the creature wasn't trying to rip him apart anymore, the Organoid's weight was slowly crushing him, and unconsciousness was starting to become a very real possibility._

"_Lied… stop…" Karl choked, trying to get through to the Organoid. Instantly, the creature stopped crushing him, its milk-white eyes wide. The creature shut its jaws and loosened its grip on his arms, cocking its head at him as it stepped off him_

_Karl sucked in air the moment the weight vanished, trying to get oxygen. He shifted onto his side, still gasping for air. It took several minutes to stabilize his breathing, the creature standing over him the entire time. It growled and blinked its glowing eyes, lowering its head slightly. Karl knew that the creature could change its mind and kill him at any moment, and that he needed to get away from it._

_He gritted his teeth and pushed himself off the cold metal floor, struggling to get to his feet. The Organoid growled and stepped back, giving him space. Karl looked at it, his emerald eyes focused on the marbled creature._

_Karl staggered away, trying to reach the door. He only made it about half-way before he collapsed, gasping for breath, his lungs burning and refusing to function normally. He squeezed his eyes shut, struggling to breathe, not even hearing the heavy footfalls of one of the creatures as it drew close._

_Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain on his arm, causing him to cry out in pain, forcing his eyes open. He stared at his outstretched arm, and realized that the red-eyed creature had bitten down on his arm. The pain only added to his problems, and his heart skipped a beat when he heard another creature's footsteps._

_Without warning, the red-eyed creature was rammed away, releasing his arm. It yelped and regained its footing, snarling at the force that rammed it. It took Karl a moment to realize that the white-marked creature had knocked it away, and was standing between him and the other Organoid, snarling loudly._

_Karl wasn't going to wait for the creatures to stop fighting and struggled to his feet, arm wrapped around his ailing side. The two Organoids didn't seem to notice, so he slowly and quietly back stepped away, trying to reach the door before he caught one of the creature's attentions._

_Moving slowly, it took him almost two minutes to get within running distance of the door, the entire time the creatures' ignoring him. Just feet away from the door, he wanted so badly to just run, but he knew that was a very bad idea, since that would draw the quarrelling creatures' attentions, and he knew just being outside the room didn't guarantee his safety._

_The two Organoids still fought, and Karl took the chance. He bolted out the door and slammed it shut, activating the lock, sealing the door. He leaned against the door and tried to catch his breath, the whole event starting to sink in. He stayed there for a few minutes, everything catching up to him._

_A few minutes later, he recovered enough from the attack to get up and started to walk away. Just as he started down the hall, he thought he could hear a soft rumbling growl coming from behind the door…_

_End flashback_

* * *

A quiet beep broke Karl's musings, and brought him back to reality. It took him a moment to realize that it was his communicator, indicating that it was nearing ten o'clock. He absentmindedly reached for the tiny device, pulling it from his pocket. He looked at it for a moment, before he was struck with an idea.

"Only a miracle will mean he has it…" Karl muttered to himself, activating the communicator's search. He prayed as the small device beeped through communicators in range, hoping Raven's would show up. He sighed in relief when the pilot's communicator beeped in, apparently still with him.

"Thank Eve…" he sighed, thankful the soldiers had missed Raven's communicator when they took his weapons and communication devices. Karl clicked onto Raven's frequency, trying to raise him.

Karl had the feeling that something wasn't right as his communicator opened a line, that something bad had already happened, or was right on the horizon…

* * *

Raven leaned against the cold wall, arms loosely crossed, listening to the sounds of the dark room. He was listening for any noise that may betray the creatures' locations, trying to make sure none of them snuck up on him. He also fought to stay awake, terrified of the thought of nodding off and waking up with one of the creatures nibbling away at him. The very thought made him shudder, and he straightened his back and lifted his head, gazing out into the dark. For a brief second, he thought he saw a pair of pale white eyes, staring back at him, but as soon as he blinked, they were gone.

"Man… whatever they gave me must make me hallucinate…" Raven muttered, shaking his head as he lowered it back down, tightening his crossed arms. The sedative still was heavily affecting him, his vision still slightly blurry and thinking difficult. The only upside was that it was dulling the otherwise severe pain from the gash.

All of a sudden, an idea hit him. He reached in his pocket, and was shocked to find his communicator. He smirked at his good fortune, now he could call for help if the creatures decided to attack.

Suddenly, the communicator crackled, someone trying to reach him. "…Raven?" he recognized Major Schubaltz's voice.

"Major? Is that you?" Raven said weakly, his voice strained from exhaustion and the sedative.

"Yeah… are you okay? Are you injured?" Karl asked.

"My side… I have a deep cut on my side…" Raven wheezed, growing tired.

"What?! Why didn't you tell us when you got back?!" Major Schubaltz shouted, shocked by his answer.

"I didn't think it was that bad of a wound… and I didn't expect to get locked up in here, either…" Raven answered.

"Raven… you're in real danger! You can't let the creatures discover your injured, if they do they'll eat you alive. I left my pocket knife with you; use it if they get too close." Karl told him, worry showing in his voice.

"Thanks for that, Major, but I'm so heavily sedated I can barely stay awake, let alone move and defend myself…" Raven said grimly, hearing another noise deep in the room.

"You need to watch it, it's nearing ten o'clock and the creatures will grow more active soon. Be careful…" Karl said.

"I will, thanks Major." Raven replied as heard another noise, this time closer.

"Good luck, and watch out for the white-eyed one, it was the one we found eating the soldier, and the one that attacked me." Karl said, clicking off. Raven put the small black device on the ground beside him, but froze when he heard a shuffling to his left. He lifted his head and gripped the switchblade, sensing the presence of one of the creatures. Another noise, this time in front of him, made him turn. He couldn't see anything, but he knew one of them was close.

Suddenly, he heard a loud growl next to him and felt a searing pain on his left shoulder. Raven cried out in pain and turned, and found himself staring into two burning red eyes. The Organoid had bitten his shoulder, and he could feel the warmth of blood spreading from the wounds. His eyes widened in fear and he backed tightly into the wall behind him, pressing his uninjured side against the wall to his right to keep himself safe from any surprise attacks. He reached for the communicator, but in horror he realized the Organoid had kicked it away.

The Organoid growled deeply, greedily licking the dripping crimson from its jaws. It narrowed its eyes and growled, its face twisting into a snarl, exposing its silver teeth. Raven watched in horror as the orange-eyed Organoid appeared in front of him, glaring at him with shining eyes.

Raven tried to get up, but the sedative had weakened his body to the point he could barely move. The Organoids lifted their heads and looked at each other, as if thinking the same thing. They growled at each other, before they glared down at him again. _'Oh no…'_ Raven thought, knowing they had discovered he was sedated.

The red-eyed Organoid snarled and lunged, its jaws aimed for his throat. Raven grabbed the Organoid's jaws, pushing back as hard as he could. The Organoid's jaws were mere inches away from his face, pushing back against him, and he knew that if he let-up even for a moment, he was dead.

Suddenly, Raven felt a sharp pain on his leg, causing him to cry out in pain. He looked past the Organoid he was fighting at his left leg, and saw the orange-eyed Organoid. Its jaws were clamped on his leg, blood covering its mouth. Raven gritted his teeth and pulled his leg from the creature's jaws, kicking the Organoid right on its snarling face. It yelped and stumbled backwards, hands covering its snout.

The red-eyed Organoid pulled its head away and turned to face the other, growling at it. Raven used the momentary distraction to his advantage, lifting the switchblade with his right hand and flicking out the blade. The Organoid turned back to him and roared in his face, its silver teeth just inches from him.

Raven smirked and slashed at the Organoid with the knife, the sharp blade connecting with its soft throat. The creature gasped hoarsely and staggered backwards, clutching its throat with its claws. Raven watched as it lifted its head and roared in pain, fading to a high-pitched scream.

Without warning, the orange-eyed Organoid charged from the darkness and lunged, latching onto his arm with an enraged snarl. Raven screamed in pain, dropping the knife to the ground. He mustered up his strength and punched the creature as hard as he could, a last-ditch effort to get free. The Organoid roared and released him, staggering back.

Without warning, Raven's vision began to blur and his body refused movement, and his eyes widened when he realized the reason- blood covered the floor from his torn arm. _'The sedative dulls the pain… I didn't realize I was bleeding so much…'_ Raven realized in horror, his body weak from blood loss. The sedative proved much more powerful in his weakened state, and he grew sleepy as his energy drained away. He lowered his head and slumped against the wall to his right, his eyes closing as the sedative's hold tightened.

Raven could hear the scraping of the creatures' claws as they approached him again, sensing his weakness. He could feel the warmth of the creatures' bodies as they drew closer, studying him with unfeeling eyes, poking at him with sharp claws, testing his reaction. When Raven didn't react, they began to bite, slowly eating at him. Raven groaned weakly, only dimly aware of the feeling of the creatures' sharp teeth tearing away at him.

One of the creatures growled and slashed at him with its metal talons, making him cry out weakly in pain. Raven opened his eyes slightly, feeling the hot breath of one of the creatures on his face. He lifted his head slightly, and found himself staring into the red-eyed creature's bloody jaws. It narrowed its eyes and growled lowly, opening its jaws wide and roaring in his face. The creature snarled and lunged, latching onto his injured side, its powerful jaws crunching down, causing him to scream in pain. He groaned weakly as the creature tore its head back, its sharp teeth tearing his battle suit, exposing his wounded side to the Organoid's teeth and claws. The creature growled, opening its bloody jaws. Raven lowered his head, closing his eyes as he waited to feel the creature tearing him open.

"Help…" he whispered, knowing all too well no one would hear his cries and come to his aid, "… help…"

Suddenly, a loud roar pierced the air, and the two creatures stopped killing him and lifted their heads. Raven lifted his head as well, and saw and heard something shuffling in the dark. The two creatures' eyes were transfixed on the figure as it drew closer, and Raven knew what it was instantly. Two milk-white orbs glowed in the darkness, narrowing as its gaze met his. Raven stared blankly back, pain the only thing he was feeling.

The creature slowly drew closer, eyes fixed on him. It stopped as soon as it was fully within his line of sight, regarding him with flat, gleaming eyes. He recognized the white-marbled creature instantly as it drew closer, snapping at the other two creatures, driving them away from him. Its eyes looked different than the last time he had seen it, they were narrower and fiercer, and they gleamed with hunger and ferocity. It turned and roared at the two creatures, moving between him and the Organoids, hissing deeply.

The two Organoids growled and backed off, slipping away into the darkness, leaving him at the creature's mercy. The creature turned and glared at him, narrowing its glowing eyes and hissing. It walked over to him and leaned down, its jaws mere inches from Raven's face.

"Well well… Lied… you've changed…" Raven said quietly, smirking. The creature growled and narrowed its eyes, curling its lip, exposing its dangerously sharp teeth. It hissed and flicked its heavily spined tail tip, the sharp black spines flexing out.

"What happened… to you?" Raven said weakly as the creature began to bite at him, his smirk disappearing, "Y-you used… to be so ge-gentle…" he groaned, feeling Lied's teeth tearing at his side. The creature growled and lifted its head, his blood running down its jaws as it hissed.

"What's wrong girl…?" Raven groaned, reaching out towards the creature, "Don't you… re-remember me?" he whispered, touching her smooth muzzle. Lied stared at him, her eyes glowing brightly. Her eyes narrowed and she hissed, snapping at his arm, her sharp teeth slicing him. He cried out in pain and pulled his hand back, holding his arm lightly as blood dripped down from the new wound.

"You re-really don't… remember…" Raven said quietly, feeling his consciousness starting to slip. Lied roared loudly, and began to tear at him again. Raven groaned weakly, though shock and the sedative had numbed his body to the pain of the creature's teeth. He lowered his head and closed his eyes as Lied continued to tear at him, slowly becoming unaware of the creature eating him alive. Lied lifted her head and roared loudly, her cry raspy and strained.

"Lied… what happened to… your voice…?" Raven said softly, opening his eyes and lifting his head slightly, looking at the creature blankly, "… y-you used to have… the most be-beautiful call…" he whispered, shakily reaching towards the blood-covered creature again. This time, however, Lied didn't snap at him, and let him touch her muzzle, her eyes slightly wider and lacking the cruel gaze.

"That's it girl…" Raven smirked weakly, slowly running his hands over the creature's snout, "… I-it's been awhile, h-hasn't it…?" he whispered, feeling his strength fading. Lied growled softly, blinking as his hand slid off of her snout, his eyes closing and his head lowering with a groan. The powerful creature growled quietly, and Raven found himself smirking.

"I-I knew you wouldn't… be so k-kind to me again…" Raven wheezed, feeling Lied's warm breath as she drew closer, "… after what I caused… I'm surprised y-you haven't… k-killed me yet…" he breathed, hearing Lied's deep-throated hiss as she opened her jaws widely.

The last thing he felt was the gentle warmth of the Lied's soft jaws closing around him, before everything faded into the darkness…

* * *

**AN**- Again, remember Raven is heavily sedated, so he's not going to be thinking straight and will act strange. I myself have gone through that, so I know how he would have reacted to it. Oh, and if you are confused by Lied's connection to Raven and Karl, don't worry, I haven't explained that part yet. I purposefully did that to build suspense, and also to keep y'all on edge. XP lol. Don't worry though, I will explain a little more of her connection in the next few chapters. Anyway, I hope you liked it!! Please leave a nice review!! ;D

Btw, new ideas have been added to the '**New fic ideas**' section of my profile.

I hope y'all liked this chapter and the action!! I'll update soon!! Please leave a nice review!! ;D

Lol. When Raven said, "You really don't remember...", I couldn't help but think of Axel from Kingdom Hearts, he said the same thing. XP

**Ibeyla ;D**


	4. Revelations

**AN**- Hello, ShadowRebirth37 here!! Yeah… poor Raven, losing consciousness in a dangerous and hungry Organoid's jaws definitely isn't the safest thing. XP lol. This chapter is horribly short in my standards, but I hope you'll like it anyway! Well, this is the chapter where you'll learn of Lied's connection to Raven, at least part of it. The other parts will be explained in the next few chapters, but things will start getting clearer. I hope you all like this!! ;D

Btw, this first part is a flashback, which explains Lied and Raven's connection a little. It takes place after the flashback in the second chapter, when Raven, Karl and the other soldiers are locked in the Pit overnight.

* * *

_Raven was fast asleep, leaning against the Major in the cold of the night. His arm was sore from the bite he had received, but thankfully the wound didn't appear to be infected. The soldiers were across from him, huddled together in fear as they slept. He and the Major were separate from them, unknowingly making themselves targets._

_In the darkness, two crimson eyes studied the humans, searching for any sign of weakness. The creature's eyes drifted over to Raven, wounded and deeply asleep. The Organoid smirked cruelly, silently slipping back into the darkness, bidding its time. As soon as the red-eyed creature disappeared, another creature, the white-eyed one, appeared and spotted Raven. It cocked its head and slowly made its way over to him, leaning down and gently nosing his shoulder._

_Raven yawned and rubbed his eyes, slowly waking up. He blinked his eyes, and found himself staring into two glowing milk-white orbs. Raven opened his mouth to scream, but the creature put a smooth claw over his mouth, shaking its head, telling him to keep quiet. Raven whimpered in fear, terrified that the creature was going to kill him. The creature growled soothingly, removing its claw and stepping back, showing him that it wasn't a threat. Raven quietly got to his feet, watching the Organoid carefully._

_The creature purred and nuzzled his shoulder, making Raven laugh quietly. Raven reached up and found the creature's neck, his hand touching the warm, soft rubber-like material of its throat. The creature purred and allowed him to stroke its sensitive throat, whereas another Organoid would have bitten or slashed him. Raven liked the feel of the soft rubber, which felt more organic than its hard armor._

_The Organoid growled softly and took a step into the dark, looking back at him, blinking its softly glowing eyes, as if asking him to follow. Raven, curious about the creature, walked towards it, standing beside the dark Organoid. The white-marbled Organoid looked at him, no anger or hunger in its eyes, just curiosity and a feeling of warmth and intelligence. Raven couldn't see well, so he put his hand on the creature's shoulder for support. The creature slowly began walking further back into the room, and Raven subconsciously followed, not realizing that the creature was leading him away from the protection of the soldiers._

_Raven petted the creature, running his hand down its smooth armor, feeling the bumps where the white color was marbled in. The Organoid arched its neck around, lightly nosing his stomach. Raven chuckled and patted its head, causing the great creature to purr loudly. The creature closed its eyes, its nose buried in his stomach, its gentle purr vibrating through his body. Raven stroked the Organoid's face, tracing the white marks that covered its black armor._

_The creature lifted its head away with a soft growl, looking directly ahead. Raven thought he could hear something, but he was unable to determine where it was coming from. He grew nervous when he heard another creature's growls, and he pressed against the creature's side._

_Suddenly, Raven heard a loud snarl behind him, and felt searing pain as something snapped shut around him, causing him to scream in pain. The white-marked creature wheeled around with wide-eyes, mouth agape. Raven looked at it as something lifted him up into the air, having a hard time merely breathing._

_The white-marked Organoid snarled and lunged, and Raven closed his eyes and turned away, waiting to feel the creature's teeth. He screamed as he was dropped, falling to the ground hard. He rolled over, and saw the white-marked Organoid's jaws clamped on the red-eyed one's neck. The red-eyed Organoid screamed and pulled itself free, turning and running into one of the several rooms. The white-marked Organoid growled at it deeply, its teeth bared and claws extended. Raven was frightened by its sudden change in character, and feared it would come after him next._

"_Help…" Raven cried, tears forming in his eyes from the pain, "… help…" The creature turned and leaned down to him, growling quietly. Raven froze when the creature nuzzled him, purring softly. It stopped, however, when it felt the warm blood that was dripping from the wounds. The creature slowly lifted its head, looking down at his wounded stomach strangely, cocking its head as warm blood dripped down its muzzle._

_The Organoid growled softly and opened its jaws slightly, exposing dangerously sharp teeth. Raven tensed and closed his eyes, turning away, waiting to feel the creature's teeth tearing at him. The creature started sniffing the wounds, leaning close to him. Raven shrieked when he felt the creature's warm tongue on his wounded stomach, whimpering as the Organoid licked him. He shuddered as the creature slowly ran its tongue up and down his body, afraid it would change its mind and chomp down at any moment._

_Raven mustered up his courage and managed to push the creature's head away and got to his feet, holding his stomach and groaning in pain. The Organoid growled but didn't attack, watching him with unchanged eyes. It purred and nuzzled him gently, licking his face softly. Raven smiled slightly and petted its snout, despite his weakening strength. The creature closed its eyes and laid its head lightly on his shoulder, exhaling in what sounded like a sigh. Raven ran his hand over its neck, hearing something moving towards them, fearing the thought of the red-eyed one returning for him._

_Suddenly, the creature pushed hard on his back, pushing him into its arms. Before Raven could even open his mouth to shout, the creature wrapped its arms around him and pulled him against it. A loud cry pierced the silence, and Raven huddled against the creature and squeezed his eyes shut in fear, hearing jaws snapping close to him. He didn't know what had happened, but he guessed the red-eyed one had tried to get at him again._

_Another roar filled the air, but different sounding. Raven figured it was the orange-eyed Organoid, also trying to get at him. The white-eyed Organoid hissed, tightening its grip around him. It didn't hurt, but Raven was terrified that he was surrounded by the massive creature. He heard the creature snap its powerful jaws, hissing at unseen foes. It roared deeply, its rumbling call vibrating through Raven's body, further terrifying him._

_The Organoid hissed deeply and arched its tail around, slowly coiling around Raven's body like some giant metallic serpent. The dangerously sharp spines that adorned the creature's tail-tip were resting on his chest, but he wasn't afraid, the spines were relaxed and posed no threat to him. The fighting continued for several minutes, with growls and snaps being exchanged between the three creatures._

_When things began to quiet slightly, Raven dared to open his eyes and peer out from his hiding place. His eyes widened in shock when he realized that both of the other creatures were biting at the white-eyed one, trying to reach him. The white-marked one was fighting back, hissing and snapping its powerful jaws at the two troublesome creatures._

_Eventually, the two creatures gave up and sulked away, fading into the darkness, leaving Raven and the white-marked one alone. The white-eyed creature snarled a last time before it fell silent, still staring in the direction that the two had departed. Raven felt its tense body relax slightly, the Organoid sighing loudly. The creature's tail slipped silently off him, and the creature opened its arms, releasing its hold on him._

_The creature leaned down and gently nuzzled the back of his shoulder, almost as if checking to make sure he was alright. Raven reached up and patted its smooth snout, reassuring the Organoid that he fine, despite his earlier wounds. The Organoid growled softly and licked his face, purring loudly._

_Raven took a step away from the creature, but instantly collapsed with a cry of pain, clutching his stomach. He felt hot blood drip through his fingers, and realized in horror that he had bled much more than he thought. His vision started to blur and he felt dizzy as he shakily got to his feet, not wanting to collapse in front of the creature. His entire body hurt, all he wanted to do was curl up and sleep, but he knew such an action would prove fatal._

_The white-marked Organoid purred and lightly nosed his arm, and although it was being gentle, caused Raven to cry out in pain. The creature snapped its head back instantly, watching him closely with soft eyes. Another wave of pain from the wounds washed over him, and it was just too much. Raven started to fall, unable to keep on his feet in his weak state, closing his eyes as he braced to hit the floor._

_He never hit the ground. Raven slowly opened his eyes, and realized he was just inches above the cold metal floor, but strangely not touching the ground or falling. It took him a moment to realize that the creature had caught him and was holding him up. He looked up with half-lidded eyes, and saw the creature looking down at him, its warm gaze strangely comforting. Its mouth was stretched into a friendly grin, its molten eyes filled with warmth and kindness._

_The Organoid growled softly and lifted him up, holding him gently in its arms. Raven looked up at it, surprised that the creature was being so gentle with him when it could so easily kill him, like the other two had tried to do. The Organoid purred quietly and very gently nuzzled his chest, being very careful so as to not cause him any pain. Raven chuckled quietly and reached up towards it, his hands brushing its smooth, dry muzzle. The Organoid closed its eyes and purred more loudly, lightly butting his hand._

_Raven pulled his hand back and coughed, the pain spreading into his lungs. He groaned weakly and closed his eyes, trying to save the little strength he had. The Organoid cocked its head and growled in concern, obviously sensing his distress. Raven didn't answer, because he was starting to lose consciousness. The creature growled louder, but Raven still didn't respond._

_The last thing he was aware of was the feeling of the Organoid's smooth claw, gently stroking his arm to comfort him, before everything faded to black…_

* * *

Raven groaned weakly, coming to for a brief moment. There was a strange pressure around his body, making it hard for him to merely breathe. He felt himself being lowered to the ground, lying on the cold metal on his wounded side, the odd pressure around his chest disappearing. His head was swimming from the sedative and blood loss, dizzy to the point that he thought he might get sick. He couldn't move, he was far too weak for such an action, and he knew movement would only speed up the bleeding. He tried to get air into his lungs, but all he could do was gasp weakly. He could hear the shuffling of one of the creatures near him, causing him to crack his eyes open slightly. He was beginning to lose consciousness again, but he just managed to catch a glimpse of a dark figure standing over him before he closed his eyes again.

Raven felt himself drifting from reality once again, but just before he slipped back into the darkness, he heard a soft rumbling growl next to him, and felt a cool talon brush softly down his arm…

* * *

**AN**- Now you know more about Raven and Lied's past. That was why Raven was trying to talk to Lied when she attacked him, because he thought she was the same and didn't know that she had formed a deep hatred of people after the attempt on her life. I'm pretty sure a shot to the throat from a high-powered rifle would change her outlook on people. XP lol. But uh-oh, poor Raven's in serious trouble!! And I'm not gonna tell you nothin 'til next chapter. XP (evil laughter) lol. Sorry, no Karl this chapter. There will be next chapter, though. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this!! Please leave a nice review!! ;D

**Ibeyla ;D**


	5. Renewing Bonds

**AN**- Hello, ShadowRebirth37 here!! Sorry that I haven't updated for awhile, but I've been very busy with other fics, my new DeviantART account, my art entries in the fair (the results of which I learn tomorrow) and my upcoming fics. I'm happy I finally got this done, this chappie's been in the works for weeks! Anyway, please enjoy chapter 5- Renewing Bonds!

Btw, the first italicized part is another flashback about Raven and Lied's past. Just wanted to let you know. XP

* * *

_Raven groaned as he slowly started to regain consciousness, trying to figure out where he was. He was lying flat on the ground, strange considering the last he could remember he had been in the white-eyed creature's arms. His stomach hurt, but not as badly as he thought it would have considering he had been in the red-eyed creature's jaws. A soft growl filled the air, causing Raven to open his eyes slightly. He blinked, realizing that there was a bright light, and found himself staring into the Organoid's familiar white eyes._

_The creature was standing over him, looking down at him with its softly glowing eyes. It made a gentle crooning noise, leaning down to him. Raven blinked again and managed to sit up, putting his hand over his stomach and moaning. His stomach was aching badly, but strangely not as bad as he thought it should. The Organoid purred softly and lightly nuzzled him, gently rubbing the side of its snout against his shoulder, much like a cat._

_Raven chuckled and patted the Organoid's snout, scratching the crest of spines that fringed its head. The creature purred loudly, closing its eyes and arching its neck. Raven smiled and ran his hand over the creature's smooth snout, feeling the small raises in the armor where the cream-ivory color was marbled in. The bumpy streaks broke up the otherwise smoothness of the creature's snout, giving it a more natural, organic feel._

_He looked around, and realized that he was in a room, lit with a slightly flickering lamp. Next to him was a small, clawed-up bed, the foam inside exposed from the creatures' sharp talons and spines. A thin, grey sheet covered half of the bed, partly pulled off the mattress. The lamp was sitting on a small wooden nightstand, the batteries that had been left in it flickering from sparse use. Behind the Organoid was the door, shut to keep the other creatures away._

_The Organoid crooned and licked his face, wagging its heavy tail. Raven patted its face as he managed to get to his feet, staggering a little as his knees buckled. The Organoid jumped up and placed its snout against his back, helping to support him._

"_Thanks…" Raven said quietly, his voice strained from all the earlier yelling. The Organoid purred and nuzzled his shoulder, licking his face again. Raven smiled and scratched its chin before he sat down closer to the wall, away from the door, the creature laying down and curling around him. Raven shivered, the air growing colder and colder, leaning back against the creature's warm belly. The creature growled softly, gently wrapping its tail around his body. For some reason, the Organoid's presence was strangely comforting, making him forget all about the pain from his wounds._

_The creature growled quietly and laid its head on his lap, closing its milky eyes and sighing loudly. Raven looked at the arrangement of the armor on the creature's face more closely, remembering how his father had told him once that female Organoids have a slightly different arrangement of facial armor. This Organoid did have the subtle difference, and Raven knew it was female._

_He lifted his hand and laid it on the Organoid's snout, her eyes blinking open at his touch. The Organoid lifted her head and yawned, shaking her head slightly as she turned and looked at him. She purred and licked his face, making him laugh._

"_Do… do you have a name?" Raven asked, not really knowing whether the creature would react or not. To his surprise, the Organoid growled and shook her head, meaning 'no'._

"_Do you want a name?" Raven said, looking at the Organoid. She cocked her head, giving a slight nod. Raven laughed, but groaned when pain shot through him from his stomach. He moaned and cringed, putting his hand over his stomach as the pain slowly faded. He felt the creature shift, the Organoid curling more around him, growling softly. The Organoid slowly started to rock back and forth, its thrumming call changing pitches, almost like a song…_

_Suddenly, he remembered something, something he had forgotten coming back to him. Raven remembered a lessen with his father, his dad showing him an aged tablet, covered with strange words and symbols. His father pointed to one symbol, a black and ivory figure, and said one word…_

"_Lied…" Raven said quietly, looking at the Organoid. She cocked her head and crooned, blinking her bright eyes. "Lied… it means 'song'…" he said, watching the creature. The Organoid blinked and nodded, nosing his arm softly._

"_Do you like that name?" Raven asked, not knowing if the creature would understand. The Organoid tilted her head and looked at the ceiling, as if in thought. He was surprised when the Organoid growled softly and nodded, purring and nuzzling his shoulder._

"_Lied then…" he said, smiling as he petted the Organoid's snout. Lied purred and closed her eyes, making her look more like a harmless kitten than a dangerous Organoid. Raven chuckled slightly as he patting Lied's crest, no longer threatened by the massive metallic creature. The Organoid lowered her head and curled around him more, laying her head again on Raven's lap._

_Raven yawned loudly, suddenly realizing how tired he was, after all, he had only gotten about an hour of sleep before Lied had woken him up. He leaned back against the Organoid, closing his eyes and relaxing. Lied slowly started rocking back and forth again, once again making her song-like thrumming call._

_Raven sighed loudly, listening to Lied's purring as he drifted off to sleep…_

* * *

Raven slowly started to regain consciousness, still trying to grasp the fact he was still alive. His body was racked with pain, but he was so far in shock that he was unaware of the full extent of his wounds. He was still incredibly weak, and was finding it a struggle to merely breathe. The sedative still had a tight hold over him, and he wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep. It took him a moment to become aware of the odd, warm sensation on his cheek. He felt something soft and wet, but the feeling disappeared quickly. He was about to question what the feeling was, when he heard a strange, sighing-like noise.

He groaned weakly and opened his eyes slightly, blinking slowly, his vision blurry and foggy. He was facing down at the floor, his back leaning against a wall. Wherever he was at was well lit, nothing like the large dark room that he last remembered being in. Something about the room, however, seemed oddly familiar…

Suddenly, a rumbling growl filled the air, and Raven felt the strange warm, wet, soft feeling on his cheek again. Groaning, he started to turn his head, but that slight movement sent hot pain shooting through his body. He cried out in pain and squeezed his eyes shut, gritting his teeth and cringing.

Another soft growl echoed through the room, and he heard a quiet clunk as something moved close to him. Raven took a deep breath, turning his head towards the sound. The task of opening his eyes again was too much in his state, but he listened. Something was right in front of him, he could sense it, but just what, he didn't know.

Without warning, he felt the same soft, wet feeling on his left cheek again, making him open his eyes slightly. Everything was a blur, and the only thing he could see was a foggy black figure in front of him. He blinked and squinted his eyes, trying to clear his vision, but nothing worked. He watched as the black figure moved closer to him, feeling warm breath coming from the shape.

Raven watched as the shape opened slightly, feeling the same warm, wet feeling on his cheek. He groaned and opened his eyes wider, blinking to clear the haze. His vision cleared slightly, and he found himself staring into two familiar, glowing milky eyes.

"L-Li… Lied?" Raven whispered, blinking his eyes, his vision clearing further. The figure growled softly, and Raven recognized the Organoid immediately. Lied purred and licked his face, making him laugh slightly. He realized that had been the feeling that had woken him up, and he was surprised that the Organoid hadn't killed him or let the other creatures eat him.

Lied crooned quietly, lightly nudging his chest. Raven smirked and reached up, laying his hand on Lied's head. The Organoid purred and closed her eyes, her body relaxing as he ran his hand up and down her marbled snout. Lied slowly swung her heavy tail happily, the deadly spines that armed the tip laying flat and posing no threat.

Raven lowered his hand back down and groaned, still incredibly weak. His vision started to cloud, and he feared he was going to lose consciousness again. Lied growled softly in concern, lightly nosing his arm and purring as he started to drift off again. Raven didn't react, for he was barely conscious. He lowered his head and closed his eyes again, starting to lose awareness.

Lied growled softly and curled around him, moving between Raven and the hard wall, letting him lean against her much softer stomach. Raven was only dimly aware of the feeling of the Organoid's tail gently coiling around him, helping to keep him warm in the cold night air and stop him from falling.

The Organoid purred and nuzzled his shoulder, being very careful not to upset his wounds or cause him any pain. Raven didn't move, too tired and weak from his wounds. Lied obviously sensed his weakness, for she lowered her head and slowly started rocking back and forth, her rhythmic movements making Raven sleepy.

Raven sighed quietly, starting to fall asleep. He knew Lied wouldn't hurt him; if she was going to attack him, she would have done it already. That, and the fact that the Organoid had taken him to her hidden room, the only place in the Pit that was safe from the other two Organoids. It was also the same room that Lied had carried him to when he had been attacked by the red-eyed Organoid as a child.

Just as Raven fell into a deep sleep, Lied lifted her head, as if sensing something wrong…

* * *

Major Schubaltz walked through the all but deserted halls of the palace, walking towards the Pit. The dark corridors were poorly lit, and shadows danced across the walls from the sparse flickering lights.

Karl was worried, he hadn't been able to raise Raven for nearly two hours, and he knew something had to have gone wrong. _'The creatures must have discovered his injuries… for all I know, they could be eating him right now, he could be dead!'_ he thought in frustration, gritting his teeth in anger that Prozen had done this.

He turned down a corridor and walked past the Pit, stopping in front of the door, listening for any noise whatsoever. Karl thought, for a brief moment, that he heard a growl, but a second later, the noise was gone. _'Uh oh… that can't be a good sign…'_ he thought, growing more nervous. Unable to walk away, he opened the small rectangle-shaped viewing port in the door and looked inside. It was too dark to make out much, but he thought he saw something move in the darkness…

Suddenly, a glowing crimson eye appeared right in front of him, making him gasp and jump back. The eye narrowed and the creature it belonged to hissed. Karl watched as it lifted its head slightly, sticking its snout against the small opening, smelling the air. Karl stared at the creature, until he saw something that made his heart skip a beat-

The creature's snout was covered it blood.

"Helkat!" Karl cursed loudly, now knowing that Raven had been attacked. He didn't know what to do, he couldn't get inside with the lock, and even if he did, the creature was right there and he didn't have a light to chase it off with. Prozen wouldn't believe him, and he probably didn't even care.

The Organoid snorted and pulled its snout back, glaring at him through the small opening before disappearing into the dark. Karl blinked and quickly shut the opening, locking it.

Karl took a deep breath, struggling to figure out what to do. He knew he had to do something, but what, he didn't know. The fact that the red-eyed Organoid was at the door was bad, that meant that the white-eyed Organoid had found Raven and driven it away, which was _very_ bad. If Raven was going to have a chance, he needed to somehow get into the Pit and get the Organoids away from him…

But that would mean finding the help of someone who knew how to deal with the unpredictable creatures…

* * *

**AN**- Yay! I finally got this chappie up!! I hit a block with this one about four paragraphs in, so that's why it took so long to get it up. I'm sorry about the wait, but school and my DeviantART account has eaten up all my time.

Again, if you guys want to see all the drawings I've done of my Organoid OCs, including Lied, visit my DeviantART account, just use the link at the top of my profile page here.

Anyway, I hope y'all liked this chapter!! I'm going to be working on this and _**To Save a Raven**_ for the next few weeks, so expect some updates!! Please leave a nice review!! ;P

_**Ibeyla ;D**_


	6. Approaching Danger

**AN**- Hello, ShadowRebirth37 here!! Yup, new chapter time! This chapter will introduce two new characters to the story- Ibeyla and Obscura, and Shadow will also be featured. This chapter will also let you get into Lied's mind, and will also introduce a **major** plot twist that will affect the rest of the fic. Anyway, here is chapter 6- Approaching Danger!! (that _screams_ badness, doesn't it? XD)

* * *

Ibeyla was sound asleep in her quarters; Obscura curled up next to her. Her long hair was halfway covering her face, the dark blue coloration appearing almost black in the low light. Obscura was in a deep sleep beside the young Zoidian, curled up like a cat, her head lying lightly on her partner's shoulder, like a cat.

This was the first decent sleep she had gotten all week. Ibeyla had been bothered by frightening, reoccurring dreams of the base being attacked and of strange, black creatures going after her and Raven. She had no idea what the dreams meant, but she knew they didn't mean anything good.

Before she had gone to sleep, she had asked Prozen where Raven had disappeared to. He had told her he was busy 'catching up with an old friend', but Ibeyla knew something was up, for besides her, Karl, Obscura and Shadow, Raven didn't have any 'old friends', and the way he had told her that, Ibeyla knew he was hiding or planning something. But, she had pushed those thoughts away and went to sleep.

Ibeyla rolled over in her sleep, knocking Obscura's head off her shoulder, waking the robin egg blue Organoid up. Obscura lifted her head and blinked open her glowing amethyst eyes, yawning loudly, showing her sharp teeth. She shook her head, the dangerously sharp barbed horn that armed her snout glinting in the low light. Obscura snorted and looked down at her Zoidian partner, her eyes half closed sleepily. Ibeyla was fast asleep, and Obscura was just about to follow her lead and go back to sleep.

Suddenly, there was a soft knock on the door, making Obscura look up. She sighed, getting up as carefully and quietly as she could, so not to wake her partner, and made her way over to the door. She pressed the glowing red button on the wall panel, opening the sliding door. The Organoid was surprised to see Major Schubaltz, a worried expression on his face.

"Obscura…" Karl said quietly, "… is Ibeyla with you?" he asked, looking past her. Obscura grumbled sleepily and turned, glancing back at the sleeping Zoidian, a 'yes' to the human. She stepped to the side, letting him in, before she shut the door, wandering over and curling up in the corner.

"Ibeyla…" Karl said quietly, looking down at the sleeping Zoidian, but she didn't react. "Ibeyla… wake up…" he whispered loudly, lightly shaking her shoulder. Ibeyla groaned and opened her eyes slightly, blinking, looking up at him strangely.

"Karl… what're you doing here? It's like two in the morning…" Ibeyla yawned, obviously wanting to go back to sleep. A look of confusion crossed her face when she saw how tense and serious he looked. "Karl? Is something wrong?" she asked, a look of worry entering her emerald eyes.

"I need to talk to you…"

* * *

Lied sighed loudly, her warm breath stirring the thin film of dust that covered the metal floor. She couldn't sleep, the strange feeling deep inside her and her muddled thoughts preventing such an action. Her thoughts were buzzing around in her head, commanding her attention. She sighed again and looked over at Raven, asleep against her side, weak and badly hurt.

'_What has become of me? I've nearly killed the only human that ever showed me any kindness… the same child that tripped over my tail, that I saved from Greifer, the very one I was shot and nearly killed over!'_ she thought in despair, her thoughts seeming to mock her. Lied sighed again, lightly touching the sensitive scar on her throat with her claw, where she had been shot.

Raven groaned, making Lied turn and look at him. He shifted slightly, moaning and clutching at his side, where Lied had chewed on him. Lied arched her neck around towards him, lightly nudging his hand away from the injury, trying to keep him from accidentally harming himself. She looked down at the deep wound, and saw that he had accidentally reopened it, crimson blood trickling down his side. Lied knew she couldn't leave the wound open and bleeding, for if she did he would more than likely die.

Lied carefully uncurled her tail from around him and started licking his side, spreading a thick, silver fluid over the wound. Raven groaned weakly and cringed, and Lied knew it had to hurt, but it had to be done. She purred softly, being as gentle as she possibly could, trying her hardest to make it as painless as possible. Raven sighed and relaxed, seeming to fall into a deep sleep, but Lied thought he most likely lost consciousness. She quickly finished, wanting him to get as much rest as he could, for he needed to get his strength up if he was to survive.

The Organoid lowered her head, more conflicting thoughts warring in her mind. _'Raven showed me humans are not just senseless beings obsessed with destroying one another, and can be more like the Zoidians… but he also led to me losing Greifer's trust and to me getting shot and marked for death…'_ she thought, different thoughts vying for her attention. She shook her head and moaned, all the conflicting feelings confusing the Organoid, adding to the stress of her current and… _special_ condition.

A soft, barely audible scratching noise made Lied's head snap up, her gaze focused on the mattress, where a blanket was bundled around something unseen. She glanced back at Raven, but another quiet scrape demanded her attention. Being as quiet and careful as she could, Lied stood up, gently shifting Raven off of her side and leaning him back against the wall. Raven groaned weakly, but relaxed as soon as the Organoid let him go and covered him in a thin blanket, which she had pulled out of a small cabinet. Raven fell back into a deep sleep, and Lied sighed, knowing he needed to rest if he was to make it.

The marbled Organoid turned away from the young human and to the bed, quietly walking towards the mattress and standing over it, her eyes focused on the bundle of fabric. She leaned down, sniffing the fabric, her snout tapping against something hard that was hidden beneath the green fabric. A quiet tap, coming from beneath the blanket, answered her, and her milky eyes widened. Lied gently gripped the green blanket in her teeth, lightly lifting the fabric.

She carefully pulled the fabric away, exposing three large, blackish-green eggs…

Lied set the fabric aside, looking at her makeshift nest expectantly. She had laid the small clutch a few months before, and had been defending them jealously ever since. Deprived of the materials necessary to build a proper nest, she had been forced to scrape by with whatever she could get her claws on. Instead of lining her nest with soft leaves and plants, she had used an old blanket, which cushioned the eggs and kept them in place. Since she couldn't remain with them every minute of every day to keep them warm and sheltered, she used another blanket to cover the eggs, hiding them and keeping them safe and warm.

She leaned down and sniffed the eggs, growling softly, lightly nosing the one nearest her. A soft squeak answered her, and she could just barely see the movement of the hatchling inside, reacting to her presence. The developing hatchlings in the other two eggs squeaked as well, the eggs moving ever so slightly as the unhatched Organoids moved within their eggs. Lied knew they were just days from hatching, and already her maternal instincts were beginning to surface.

Growling softly, Lied slowly crawled onto the bed, carefully curling around her eggs. She carefully checked her clutch, gently nosing each egg, sniffing and checking the temperature, making sure everything was perfect. Finding nothing of any concern, she sighed and settled in, aching her neck around her clutch, shielding them from view and keeping them warm.

Lied sighed sleepily, lacking any energy. Because of being trapped in the closed environment, she had no access to any prey or the other items she needed, such as the minerals she must consume to replace the ones lost by developing the eggs. But, she had no access to the iron, copper, or any of the other minerals her body required to replace those lost, and there was no prey for her to hunt to feed her and her chicks once they hatched.

That is… other than the humans. There were plenty of humans for her to hunt down, and they were easy prey, even in her weakened and deprived state. And, humans even had the minerals she so desperately needed; if she could catch just one human, that would solve all her problems. Why, she had even discovered a way out of the Pit and into the palace corridors itself, but she had never strayed too far out, fearing the thought of leaving her eggs unattended. The allure of easy, abundant prey was hard to resist, and so far she had been able to fight the urge, but with her eggs just days away from hatching and her parental instincts gaining more influence, she knew sooner or later she would go hunting and bring back a human for her chicks.

Naturally, her thoughts drifted to Raven, who was helpless and injured in the very same room as her. Lied hadn't allowed herself to think of harming him, and would never harm him consciously, but with her maternal instincts to defend and provide for her offspring gaining more and more control over her, she feared she would hurt him, or that her chicks may view him as food if they hatched while he was here. And if her chicks would decide to feed on him, she wouldn't be able to stop them; her instincts to care for them would override her will to help Raven. The maternal instincts that had made her so protective and gentle to the delicate eggs were the very same that made her attack Raven, the only human she had ever trusted. The instinct to hunt for her chicks had altered her senses, but since they hadn't hatched, that instinct instead told her to hunt to feed herself, so she would be strong enough to defend her eggs. If Raven hadn't broken the instincts' hold over her, she very well could have eaten him alive.

As if responding to her thoughts, the egg nearest her head chirped and shifted slightly, the hatchling inside moving around. Lied growled softly to her chick, reassuring her unhatched young that she was there. The other two chicks squeaked and moved in their shells, as if asking to be let out of the cramped eggs. She knew they still had at least another day before they would be ready to hatch, and even then they might not hatch for several days, there was no way to tell for sure when they would begin to hatch. Lied smirked slightly, tightening around her clutch, sighing softly and relaxing slightly, unable to wait until they hatched.

'_But…'_ Lied thought, opening her milky eyes, _'… I will have plenty of time to relax after my younglings hatch, right now I need to care for my 'adopted' hatchling…'_ she thought with a half-amused smirk, lifting her head and arching her neck around, looking down at Raven. He hadn't moved at all, his head down, his quiet, slow breathing the only sign he was still alive. He had been badly hurt by Greifer and Argon, not unlike the first time she had met him. This time, however, Raven was in much worse shape, and was completely dependent on her for his survival.

She watched as Raven moved slightly, accidentally knocking the blanket down off his shoulder. He moaned weakly, shivering slightly as he drew a sharp breath. Lied smirked and uncurled her tail from around her clutch, moving slowly so not to upset the chicks within the eggs. She growled softly and, using her tail, carefully laid the blanket back over him, trying to keep him warm. Raven exhaled quietly as she adjusted the blanket, falling back into a deep sleep. Lied sighed contently, just happy to have Raven back with her after so many years.

Lied smiled, gently brushing some of Raven's ebony hair away from his face with her spined tail tip, growling softly. To her, the young human was almost like her hatchling, and she would do anything to protect him from Greifer and Argon. But, she was terrified that her maternal instincts would force her to view him as prey and attack him, or that her chicks would try and hurt him if they hatched while he was still with her, and she knew that if that happened, she wouldn't be able to protect him without possibly harming her chicks.

The thought of moving him into one of the other rooms had crossed her mind before, but that was too risky, for she would have to leave him alone to watch after her clutch, thus leaving him defenseless against Greifer and Argon. If one of them would hurt him, she would never be able to forgive herself. But, being here with her was dangerous too if the eggs hatched, but until then, he was in the safest place in the entire Pit.

Her eyes closed briefly and she groaned loudly as the realization hit her- Raven didn't know about her clutch. Lied sighed loudly, not knowing what to do. She knew Raven could be trusted and wouldn't harm the eggs, but she didn't know how he would react to them, especially if they would hatch. She feared that if her chicks hatched, Raven may inadvertently do something that could draw the hatchlings' attention, which would end badly for him.

Without warning, Lied's head snapped up, her eyes darting around frantically. She sensed danger; her heightened instincts telling her she and her eggs were in grave danger. She looked down at Raven, but he wasn't reacting to the overwhelming feeling of danger that had her so distressed. Instinctively, she curled around her eggs tightly, protecting them from whatever threat she had sensed.

Something was very wrong, she could feel it, something bad was about to happen…

* * *

Shadow roared in fury, fighting violently against the restraints fastened to his metal body. He knew something horrible had happened to Raven, and that he needed to find him. The instincts hard-wired into him to protect his partner were driving the Organoid mad, for he couldn't get free and find his missing partner.

The heavy metal restraints and chains the soldiers had fastened to him were strong, but he was determined to break free and help Raven. He knew something horrible had happened to his young human partner, and that he was somewhere in the base, far away from the cell where he was locked in. Raven was in a lot of pain, somewhere in the west wing of the palace, but that was all he could tell from his natural instincts. The last thing he could really remember before the soldiers knocked him out was standing over his unresponsive partner, nosing and licking him in a desperate attempt to wake him, before everything went black.

Shadow snarled and bit and the heavy steel cable fastened to his arm, trying to chew it off. Despite his powerful jaws and teeth, he couldn't bite through the tough metal, which only further enraged the already furious Organoid. He screamed in rage and threw himself at the iron bars of his cell, trying to rip the metal restraints from the stone wall. All he succeeded in doing was choking himself, but that just further fueled his determination to escape.

He pulled and fought, twisted and struggled, but the restraints held, despite his fevered efforts to get free. Shadow had been fighting ever since he had woken up nearly three hours before, and it was beginning to catch up to him. His struggles began to slow as exhaustion took hold, making him pant loudly for breath. His body was still recovering from the electric shocks the soldiers had used to subdue him, his energy weak and fading.

Shadow's body finally couldn't take the abuse anymore, and he collapsed to the cold, damp stone, breathing heavily. His heart screamed for him to get back up, to fight his way free and go find Raven, but he was just too weak. His body refused motion, and he just laid on the rough stone, whining loudly with each labored breath. His thoughts drifted to what had happened earlier, the events that led to him being chained and locked in a cold cell while they did Eve-knows-what to his partner…

* * *

_Flashback_

_Shadow was resting on the floor, curled up beside the bed of the infirmary that Raven was sitting on, resting after their near-death incident. A nurse was looking Raven over for any major damage, but that was proving difficult, since Raven wasn't exactly the most cooperative patient. He was snapping and squirming whenever the nurse tried to look at a tiny scratch or bruise, screaming that he was fine and didn't need any help._

_The dark Organoid sighed loudly, trying to ignore Raven's shouts of protest as the nurse tried to look at his side. He didn't let the nurse get a good enough look to determine if he was hurt or not, which frustrated her. Shadow knew Raven had a bad gash on that side, and since he hated showing any sign of weakness, he was very secretive about his wounds._

_Shadow lifted his head as he heard a few soldiers walk into the otherwise empty room, staring at them blankly. They looked strange; as if they were about to do something they really didn't want to do. He narrowed his eyes, knowing something was up. Shadow looked up at Raven, but he was too busy fighting still with the nurse to notice._

_He looked back over at the soldiers, rolling into a crouch and growling as a warning, feeling slightly threatened by their presence. The soldiers didn't even look down at him, and Shadow made up his mind that he didn't want to be there anymore, annoyed both by the soldiers and Raven's constant whining._

_With a quiet groan, Shadow got to his feet, glaring at the soldiers as he walked past them and into the hallway. He grumbled and started back towards Raven's quarters, hoping to get a quick nap before the inevitable scolding he and Raven would get from Prozen for destroying the Zaber Fang. He was __not__ looking forward to sitting through that._

"_Shadow!!"_

_Suddenly, Shadow heard Raven scream, as if he was panicked. Shadow spun around, not knowing if Raven was in danger or just throwing a fit about being treated._

"_Shadow!! Help!!"_

_Another cry from him, this time pained, told the Organoid his partner was in danger. Shadow growled and ran back, fearing the soldiers were trying to hurt Raven._

_He burst into the room, roaring loudly, snarling at the room's occupants. The soldiers turned and looked at him from where they were standing near the wall, looking away from Raven, who was cornered and clutching at his shoulder. He was breathing strangely, almost gasping, as if he had to force himself to keep breathing. Raven looked over at him, his face paler than usual, before he collapsed to the ground._

_Shadow snarled and ran over to his partner, terrified for the young human. He stood over him, trying to figure out what had happened. There was a trail of blood from the cot to him, a dark stain on his shoulder dripping blood to the white floor. Shadow looked over at the soldiers and saw one holding a syringe, and he realized they had injected him with something. He narrowed his eyes at the soldiers, baring his teeth and snarling viciously, enraged that they had the nerve to harm his partner._

_He was about to rip them apart, when a quiet groan from Raven made him turn. The young human was shaking slightly, eyes squeezed shut, looking as if he was cold or frightened. Shadow leaned down and nosed him, sniffing him curiously, concerned for his partner. Raven moaned weakly, gasping before he stilled, completely unmoving, as if he had died._

_Shadow roared in panic and nosed him, feeling for his breathing and heartbeat, and he sighed in relief when he found them. He completely forgot about the soldiers, too preoccupied with Raven to care. He gently nosed and licked his ailing partner, ancient instincts from his past telling him to._

_As he continued to softly nuzzle and lick his partner, the soldiers pulled out pistols with strange blue tips- high-powered electric tasers. Shadow was too busy trying to tend to Raven to recognize his own peril, and even if he had, he wouldn't have been able to do anything._

_Suddenly, Shadow felt two pinpricks on his side, and before he could even blink he felt a powerful jolt of electricity surge through his metal body. He lifted his head and roared in pain, the strong surge interfering with his internal systems. He gritted his teeth against the pain and turned to the soldiers, snarling in fury, trying to drive them away._

_Another pair of taser bolts pierced his unprotected belly, sending a fresh wave of pain through him. Shadow roared and whipped down, biting the wires connected to the gun, severing the current. He yanked the spears from his stomach and tossed them aside, taking a step towards the soldiers, preparing to attack._

_The remaining soldier fired his taser, the bolts fastening into Shadow's soft throat, pumping more electricity into the Organoid's weakened body. Shadow screamed in pain, frantically scratching at his throat in a panicked attempt to pull out the bolts, but it was futile._

_Shadow whined loudly and collapsed in a heap beside Raven when the current stopped, weakened to a severe level by the electric shocks. The world seemed to be spinning, the soldiers that now stood over him nothing more than mere splashes of color. He growled weakly, curling his tail around Raven's body, baring his teeth in a pathetic show of force, even though he knew it was hopeless._

_He could do little more than watch as they knelt down to Raven, unable to do anything to defend his helpless partner. He stared in horror as the one soldier that had shot him in the throat pulled out the syringe, sticking it into Raven's arm, injecting something into his unconscious partner, who moaned weakly in pain. Shadow weakly clawed at the soldier nearest him, but it did nothing more than rip the soldier's shirt and scratch his skin, nothing more than a minor annoyance._

_Mustering his failing strength, he whipped around and bit the soldier that had injected Raven, his jaws closing on his arm. The soldier merely grunted in surprise, Shadow so weak that his jaws could do little more than wrinkle his sleeve, let alone drive him away from the unconscious teen the Organoid was trying so hard to protect. The soldier kicked him in the side, making him whine in pain, but he refused to let go, not giving up without a fight._

_Shadow growled and bit down, but his energy was so depleted that his teeth could do nothing more than pierce the fabric of the soldier's sleeve. The man tried to pull his arm out of his mouth, but Shadow wouldn't let him go, knowing he wouldn't be able to harm Raven any more with his arm in his jaws. The soldier kicked him in his exposed chest, knocking the air from Shadow's body. He whined and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to ignore the pain._

_By that time, the soldiers were annoyed by his persistence to keep them from Raven, and decided to finish him. They pulled his jaws from the man's arm and held him down, one of them holding a strange blue device. The soldier stuck it to his neck, the tiny device fixing itself to his soft throat. Shadow roared in fear, and felt the little energy he had left disappear, the small device stealing it away._

_He fell limp to the floor, unable to stop the soldiers as the dragged Raven away, whining before he lost consciousness…_

_End of flashback_

* * *

Shadow growled and twisted his face into a snarl, angry that he had let those soldiers catch him with his guard down. It was his fault Raven was in pain, if he hadn't left him, none of this might have happened. He banged his head against the stone floor and roared in frustration, thrashing against his bonds in anger.

'_I never should have left him… they could be torturing him for all I know!'_ he snarled in his head, roaring outwardly and scratching at the stone beneath his body. He shook his head and dug madly at his throat with his claws, trying to pull the small restraining bolt from his neck. The small device had hooked itself deep into his throat, making it difficult for the dark Organoid to remove it. As long as that small contraption was fastened to his body, it would restrict his functions and keep him from killing anyone should he escape.

Shadow lashed his tail violently, snarling loudly in rage at everything that had happened. The moment he got free he was going to make somebody _pay_, he was going to kill those soldiers and whoever ordered them to hurt him and his partner. Cruel, bloody thoughts entered the dark Organoid's head, whom smirked, knowing that he would get his chance to redeem himself for letting his partner down. Shadow bared his teeth in a silent snarl, his sapphire eyes glowing in the darkness, trying to settle down at least some.

The dark thoughts cleared away, and instead worry for his partner filled his mind, for he sensed something terrible was about to happen to him…

* * *

**AN**- So, know you know how they managed to get Raven in the first place. But now, poor Raven is locked in the Pit with a mother Organoid and eggs! And Shadow is probably going to stress himself to death over being locked away from Raven.

I'm really pleased with how this chapter turned out, each section had a unique style shared with some of my other fics. Ibeyla and Obscura's part is close to the style used for her in _**Broken**_. Lied and Raven's part shared some similarities to _**The Dark Savior**_. Shadow's part is almost identical to the style I used in my beloved and best ever work, my one-shot _**Blue-Eyed Demon**_. Some parts in Lied's portion also harkened to _**Blue-Eyed Demon**_ as well.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed!! Oh, and I have uploaded a picture of Lied on my DeviantART account! Just use the link in my profile to reach my account there. I hope this made up for the long wait!! Please R & R!! ;D

_**~Ibeyla ^^**_


	7. Disaster

**AN**- Hello, ShadowRebirth37 here!! Listen everyone, I'm sorry for my extended absence, but with Thanksgiving and my cable (which provides my internet) shutting down for no reason for three days, I was unable to get to my mom's to upload this, my new _Primeval_ fic, _**Prey**_, and new Organoid OC drawings at DeviantART. Anyway, enough of my excuses, here is chapter 7- Disaster!! (uh oh, that doesn't sound good!! XP)

Oh, Lied's name is pronounced 'lead' or 'leed', like when you lead someone.

Btw, the italicized part takes place a year before the start of CC, after Raven received Shadow and his Zaber Fang, during winter. Just made sure ya knew. ;P

* * *

"He WHAT?!!" Ibeyla screamed, shock written all over her face. She was sitting up now, her jaw dropped as she stared at Karl, her glittering emerald eyes wide.

"He… he put him in the Pit…" Karl said quietly, his eyes down, looking at the floor.

"Why?!" she shouted.

"For destroying his Zaber Fang and punching one of the soldiers sent to retrieve him…" Karl answered, "… they had to sedate him just to get him into the Pit."

"Has Prozen finally gone mad?!" Ibeyla shrieked, "Those Organoids will eat him alive!! Has he forgotten what happened the last time he put a wounded person in there?!"

"I know… but I don't know how badly he's hurt, but Prozen forced me to help him put him in that place, and I saw how badly sedated he was. I swear they gave way too much, he was fully unconscious and he only moved once, and Prozen said they gave him enough to keep him under for hours…" Karl said quietly, closing his eyes for a brief second.

"I saw him before he went to the infirmary, he and Shadow came to me." Ibeyla said, "You know how he hates people poking at him and doesn't fuss about even a severe injury, so I made sure I he wasn't hurt. He had a bad gash on his side, from the Zaber's cockpit glass I think, but he wouldn't let even me do anything to help him. Karl, is there anyway to get in there without anyone seeing?"

"I… I don't think so… I'm not sure, I've always tried to avoid that place at all costs, after what happened…" Karl said softly, looking up at her.

"That's alright, Karl…" Ibeyla smiled, "… I think I know a way in anyway, but we have to get out into the west courtyard without anyone catching us, or else we'll be thrown in there and be the ones in need of rescue."

"You mean there's an unsealed exit out of the Pit?! Does that mean the creatures can get out?!" Karl asked, suddenly worried that the Organoids could sneak out into the palace during the night.

"The smallest male and the female can." Ibeyla said, confirming his fears, "I've seen her out a lot in the courtyard in the last few weeks, chewing on one of the flowering bushes, but she didn't look as threatening as the one with the orange eyes…"

"Well… we'll have to risk it because…" Karl trailed off, gulping, "… when I looked in to check on Raven, the red-eyed one came up to the door, and… its muzzle was covered in blood…" Ibeyla grew very pale, all the color draining from her face, looking as if she was about to faint.

"W-what? Bl-blood?!" she choked, a look of pure horror on her face.

"Unfortunately…" Karl said quietly, "… but I don't know which one got hold of him. That one could have just gotten blood on its muzzle without hurting him, or it could have attacked him… but what has me worried the most is that Lied, the sole female, the one that attacked me, hasn't been seen at the door since I lost contact with Raven."

"Lied? But, isn't that the one that saved Raven?" Ibeyla cocked her head slightly, her look of horror replaced by one of confusion.

"Saved? What are you talking about? Lied was the one that bit and hid him from us, he's got the scars to prove it." Karl questioned, wondering if the young Zoidian wasn't thinking straight from being woken up so early.

"Yeah, Raven told me everything that happened." Ibeyla said, "He said that after you guys were locked in there and fell asleep, Lied woke him up and played with him. He followed her back further into the room and was attacked by one of the other Organoids, the red-eyed one I think. He said Lied fought it off and helped him, and even fought off both of the other creatures when they came after him. After that, he said that he passed-out and Lied carried him to a protected part of the Pit and cared for him, until you and the soldiers tracked her down and found him."

"But, if she didn't hurt him, why did she attack us when we tried to help him? And attack me when I didn't do anything to provoke or anger her?" Karl asked, now the one confused.

"I don't know…" she shrugged, "… maybe she was trying to protect him?"

"I doubt it… before the incident she was pretty aggressive to anyone who got close to her, she even bit me, and I was even holding a lamp that had shooed away the other two. And in the last few months, she has been _highly_ aggressive to everyone that even stepped foot in there; I even saw her attacking the other two Organoids for no reason. Shadow was even beaten into submission by her when Prozen placed him in there before he gave him to Raven." Karl shook his head, the two conflicting stories not adding up.

"Wait… more aggressive in the last few months? How so?" she inquired, a look of worry showing in her eyes.

"Well, she attacked a soldier and started eating him before we could pry her off him, she stole a washcloth that had been in my pocket, tried to escape, smashed another soldier into the wall, slashed another nearly open, killed another with the spines on her tail, rammed at the door for hours on end for no apparent reason, was bold enough to venture near the open door as they put Raven in, and even scratched and bit at me a week or two ago…" Karl answered, scratching his head as he tried to remember. He looked down at Ibeyla, who was now deathly silent. Her eyes were wide and she was ghastly pale, as if he was pointing a gun at her. This wasn't normal for the young Zoidian; if she fell silent, you knew she knew something awful. "Are you alright, Ibeyla? You're worrying me…"

"Dear Eve…" she finally whispered, "… Karl, we need to get Raven out of there. _Now_!" She shrieked, jumping off her bed.

"Ibeyla, what?!" Karl asked, now worried and very confused. Ibeyla ran over and woke Obscura, before running over to her closet, tearing through it.

"That Organoid, Lied…" she said more calmly, "… there's only one explanation for such a sudden and drastic behavior change in such a short amount of time…" she sighed, looking over at Karl, an almost sullen look in her eyes, "… Lied has nested…"

"Nested?" Karl asked, narrowing his eyes in confusion, "As in… a nest? Eggs?"

"I'm afraid so…" she said sullenly, "… and if that's the case, Raven is in grave danger. Organoid hatchlings have to eat, and so do mother Organoids. If Lied has laid, then she or her hatchlings could… could…" she started sobbing, tears dripping down her face at the thought of one of her closest friends being eaten alive by the vicious creatures. She wiped the tears from her eyes and reached up onto a high shelf in her closet, and pulled out her carefully wrapped cloak.

"Ibeyla… Ibeyla, he'll be okay, this _is_ Raven we're talking about…" Karl said softly, trying to calm her down. Ibeyla looked over at him, her emerald eyes slightly reddened, but sobs no longer escaped her.

"You're right… but if he's going to be okay, we need to get him out of there." She said, her voice strengthening, "Karl, listen, if Lied has Raven and is nesting, she's going to be one cranky Organoid. I need you to go and get as many high-powered tasers as you can get, they're the only things effective against an enraged mother Organoid; even a full clip from your 9mil wont faze her." Karl nodded and hurried out of the room, leaving her to get dressed into her battle suit and armor.

Obscura, who had been standing in the corner, walked over to her and nuzzled her shoulder, purring softly. Ibeyla petted her snout, tears no longer streaming down her face. She knew, however, that Raven was in serious danger, and that if she and Karl didn't hurry, he could very well die.

'_We have to hurry… Raven will die if we don't do something tonight, if he's not already dead…'_

* * *

Raven still hadn't stirred, the slight rising and falling of his chest with each breath the only sign he was still living. With his ripped-open side, torn shoulder, sliced arm and bitten leg, he looked as if he should be dead. The sedative was still affecting him, keeping him in a semi-unconscious state, and completely at the mercy of Lied and the other Organoids. He was half-conscious at the moment, sensing the light of the lamp and the soft breathing of his Organoid guardian, wherever she was lying at.

He tried to open his eyes, but he was still far too weak. He had lost a lot of blood during the attack, and his body was using his little remaining strength to try and heal the massive injuries he had sustained. His side felt strange, covered in something slimy and cool, and he recognized the feeling of Lied's healing liquid. The presence of the liquid was reassuring, Raven knew Lied only used it when she had complete trust and was completely relaxed, so he knew Lied was going to watch over him until the soldiers came to retrieve him in the morning and wasn't going to hurt him anymore.

Raven didn't like not being able to move or see; it made him feel vulnerable, which was just another word for weak, which he hated to feel. At the moment, however much he hated to admit it, he was too weak to even move his hand or open his eyes, let alone anything else. He knew he wouldn't be able to stand on his own for a few days at best, but walking wasn't going to be an option for at least another week. The blanket Lied had laid over him had helped to keep him warm, which helped his injuries begin to heal quicker.

A slight shuffling from somewhere to his left caught his attention, momentarily breaking his thoughts. Lied's unmistakable growl broke the silence, the soft rumble not at all threatening. Raven sensed more than heard Lied move close to him, the ebony and cream Organoid sniffing him, her warm breath ruffling his hair.

"Li… L-Lied?" Raven wheezed, even though he knew it was her. Lied growled softly, climbing down off of the bed. Before he had a chance to even react, Lied crooned loudly and licked his face, her soft wet tongue dragging across his cheek, making him open his eyes slightly. Lied was standing over him, her long tail wagging back and forth, a grin seeming to stretch across her muzzle.

Lied cooed and gently nuzzled his cheek, closing her eyes and purring softly. Raven couldn't help but laugh, which made Lied purr louder and wag her tail harder. If this had been Shadow or Obscura nuzzling him, he would have smacked the Organoid and yelled, but this was Lied, the only one he would let lick and nuzzle and nose him. She stopped for a moment, licking him again, before she continued to nuzzle him.

Raven laughed quietly and pulled his left arm out from under the heavy blanket, reaching up and laying his hand on Lied's neck. Lied growled softly, licking him again as she continued to nuzzle him, being very gentle with him. Raven slowly ran his hand up and down her neck, feeling the bumpy streaks of ivory on his fingertips through the leather glove. Lied purred louder, licking his face again before nosing his shoulder gently, careful of his wounds.

Lied growled softly and laid down next to him, softly nosing and licking him. Raven smirked and playfully pushed on her snout, catching her off-guard. Lied snorted in surprise, blinking her glowing milky eyes in confusion. Her look of confusion faded, and instead a mischievous glow entered her eyes, and a sly smirk crossed her face. She growled evilly and swiped at his side with her clawed hand, the sharp talons just touching him. Raven laughed loudly, the dangerous claws lightly brushing against his ticklish side. Lied sneered and, using both her clawed hands, kept tickling him, careful to not hurt him with her powerful talons.

Raven was laughing for the first time in years, squirming as the large Organoid tickled his side with her talons. He was laughing so hard he couldn't breathe; cursing Lied remembered his one weak spot. As if sensing that, Lied stopped, letting him get a good breath of air. Raven was gasping, still laughing as he tried to even his breathing. Still breathing heavily, he reached over and rubbed Lied's snout, smiling slightly. Lied purred loudly and closed her glowing eyes, arching her neck and pushing her muzzle into his hand, much like a housecat. Her spined tail tip swooshed happily across the smooth metal floor, her sharp silver claws splaying and retracting, again like a cat.

Partly drowned out by the ebony Organoid's loud purring, a quiet scratching caught Raven's attention, coming from the bed. He patted Lied muzzle a last time, looking over at the bed, looking for the source of the noise. It appeared to be originating from a pile of blankets, the green fabric seeming to be carefully wrapped around something. As he listened, he saw the blanket move very slightly, as if something underneath it was moving.

"Lied? W-what's making that noise?" he asked, looking over at the marbled Organoid. Lied opened her eyes, blinking and listening. Her bright eyes widened and she scrambled to her feet, running over to the bed, hovering over the bundle of fabric. Raven was very confused by this point, not knowing why Lied was so interested in the noise.

He watched as she sniffed and nosed the green pile of blankets, her movements slow and careful. She was acting strange, she wasn't tearing through the fabric in search of the source of the noise like he had expected her to do, she was just smelling and prodding the blankets. She growled softly and pushed her snout under the top blanket, sniffing and probing something with her sensitive nose. As she did that, he picked up a quiet squeaking noise, a barely audible chirping coming from beneath the fabric.

"Lied, what i-is _that_?" he questioned, looking at her strangely. Lied pulled her snout from the bundle and looked over at him, an odd look in her eyes, as if worried and happy at the same time. She made a sighing noise and leaned back down to the lump, nosing away the top blanket. Raven watched as the blanket fell away, and his eyes widened-

For barely visible in the heavy fabric, were three smooth blackish-teal eggs…

"L-Lied… a-are those… eggs?!" he stuttered, staring at Lied in shock. She nodded slowly and covered them back up, walking over to him and leaning down, an almost sad look in her eyes. She mewed and nuzzled his shoulder, whining loudly, her eyes squeezed shut. Raven had never seen her so distressed, she had been calm as long as he could remember, and seeing her panicky made him nervous.

"What, girl?" Raven said quietly, reaching up and laying his hand on the Organoid's snout. Lied opened her eyes at his touch, looking him in the eyes, fear seeming to enter her eyes before she squeezed them shut again. Raven knew a scared Organoid was highly dangerous, so he tried to calm her down. He slowly ran his hand up and down her snout, trying to get her settled down.

"What's wrong, girl?" he said softly, continuing to scratch her muzzle. Lied seemed to calm down slightly, her milky eyes blinking open. She looked at him and growled softly, her eyes darting to her eggs before settling on him again. "What? The eggs?" he asked, confused on what the Organoid meant. She nodded slowly, nuzzling him again. "Is something wrong with one?" he inquired, beginning to worry. She blinked and growled a sad 'yes', pushing her snout against his chest.

"Lied, what's wrong with the egg?" he asked, slowly running his hand up and down her muzzle, trying to keep her calm. She tilted her head and blew cold air on his face, before pushing back against him. "One got too cold?" he said quietly, understanding what she was trying to say. Lied mewled and laid down, nodding and squeezing her eyes shut. Raven's heart sank, knowing that one of her eggs was likely dead. Seeing Lied so distraught was strange, he had never seen her sad, let alone completely broken down, like she was now.

Raven remembered what Ibeyla had told him about Organoid eggs. She had said they were very sensitive to changes in the environment, and that a sudden shift in temperature, even for just a few minutes, could kill the developing Organoid. One must have gotten too cold while she was playing with him and died; there was no other explanation for her behavior.

"Which one, Lied?" Raven asked, looking over at her nest. Lied lifted her head and got to her feet, slowly making her way to the nest. She rooted through the fabric with her snout, stopping and sniffing. Raven watched as she opened her jaws, carefully lifting one of the eggs, the smallest one, out of the fabric in her jaws. Lied carefully balanced the egg in her jaws, walking over to him. She gently laid the egg in his lap, nuzzling his shoulder before she walked back over to her nest.

Raven touched the large egg, tracing the distinct raised marking that covered the smooth surface. The egg's shell felt metallic, as if made from paper-thin metal. It felt cold to the touch, which he knew wasn't good. But, if what Ibeyla had told him was true, warming it up just might save it. He pulled off his blanket, wrapping the delicate egg in the warm fabric, trying to warm it up. It was smaller than the other two he had seen, and being smaller meant it lost heat quicker, which probably explained why the other two eggs were fine.

He looked up at Lied, who now was curled up around her remaining eggs. She wasn't moving, wrapped tightly around her two surviving eggs, trying to keep them warm. The two other eggs were nearly the size of footballs, but the one on his lap was only as two-thirds as big, if that. If the hatchling inside it survived, it no doubt would be much smaller and weaker than the other two.

Normally, he really wouldn't have cared whether the egg lived or died, but since it was Lied's and she had saved his life several times, he was concerned with it. He was cold without the blanket to keep him warm, but he didn't care, the egg needed it more than he did right now. If the egg made it, he knew there was a chance it be a runt and the other hatchlings could pick on it, and if that did happen, it would probably have to be separated.

Lied lifted her head and looked at the door, her eyes wide, a deep growl rumbling from her throat. Raven looked at her strangely, but she was completely focused on something other than him. Her eyes were wide and glaring, as if frightened of something…

Suddenly, the base was rocked with a loud explosion, making Raven shout and Lied roar. Raven heard a loud electric buzzing and popping before it stopped, signaling the power had been disabled. The telltale metallic clanging of a Zoid came from outside, and he realized the palace was under attack. He knew the Pit was in a relatively isolated section of the palace, so he hoped no stray shots would hit. Lied was in a panic, roaring and flicking her tail in agitation, as if trying to scare away the noise.

"Lied! Lied, you and your eggs are fine!" Raven shouted over her loud roaring and another explosion, "Stop moving or you'll hurt her eggs!" he added, and instantly she stopped, looking over at him with her brightly glowing eyes. She growled curiously and cocked her head, blinking her eyes. "I don't know what's happening, but the power's out…" he said, sighing loudly. He knew that meant the door was locked in place until power was restored and the security lock rebooted, and that could take days, even weeks, and in his condition, that could be fatal.

As if sensing his distress, Lied cooed and uncurled her tail from around her eggs, using the spines that armed the tip to tickle his side. Raven laughed, momentarily forgetting about the continuing explosions and that he was trapped. He smirked and grabbed her tail farther up, away from the spines, not letting her pull it back. She snorted and narrowed her eyes playfully, and used her tail tip to tickle his side again. Raven laughed again, his grip on Lied's tail slipping, letting the Organoid pull her tail away.

Lied growled evilly, digging her tail tip into his ticklish side, making him laugh even harder. Raven was unable to stop her, laughing so hard his eyes were close to watering. He wasn't at all worried about the lethal spines pressed against him, knowing Lied was only playing and wasn't going to hurt him. Even though Raven knew Lied was a naturally caring Organoid, he was surprised with just how gentle and careful she could be; the spines that were tickling him were the very same she had used to kill a soldier who hit her with a single swat, it was amazing how she could change such a deadly weapon into a harmless play toy.

Another loud explosion brought them back to reality, Lied looking down at her nest again. A look of distress and worry entered her once happy eyes, making her look as if she hadn't been happy for years. Raven was also distressed, worried about being trapped in the Pit and about Shadow, Ibeyla and Karl, whose quarters were in a more exposed section of the palace. He shook his head slightly, dismissing the dark thoughts, and looked down at the delicate egg wrapped carefully in his blanket.

Raven unwrapped a little of the fabric, pressing his fingers against the now-warm surface of the egg's shell. The egg felt much warmer, which was good, meaning the hatchling could still have a chance, if it wasn't already dead. To his surprise, he thought he could feel what felt like a heartbeat, the weak pulse vibrating through his leather-clad fingers. He wondered for a moment if that was just his own heart, but he wasn't sure.

A soft yawn from Lied made him look up, carefully rewrapping the small egg. Lied was curled up around her two other eggs, sighing loudly and closing her eyes, looking like she was starting to fall asleep. Seeing her like that made Raven sleepy, the combined effects of the sedative and blood loss making him drowsy. He yawned quietly, his amethyst eyes starting to close as he grew more tired.

Raven closed his eyes and leaned his head back, drifting off into a deep sleep, despite the egg on his lap and the attacks on the palace…

* * *

Ibeyla fastened her silver armor to her arms and shoulders, knowing she would need the protection. Already she had dressed herself in her deep sapphire battle suit, made from the same material as Raven's grey and violet one. She figured wearing her battle suit would be better protection than normal cloth, since the fabric was designed to help protect against glass, to some degree, so maybe it would help against an angry Organoid's claws or spines.

She herself had had no experience dealing with a mother Organoid defending her nest, but she knew it wasn't going to be easy. Ibeyla remembered some of her parents teachings about nesting Organoids' behavior, but during most of their lectures she had been daydreaming or staring off into space, and now she wished she had paid closer attention to their words, because now her friend's life hung in the balance. She knew there was going to be fighting in order to get Raven out, but she didn't want to anger or harm the Organoid or her eggs, but getting Raven out of there was her main concern at the moment. After all, Raven had been her friend ever Prozen had brought him back after finding him…

* * *

_Flashback_

_Ibeyla sat next to Raven, Obscura and Shadow lying at their feet. The soldiers were prepping their Zoids for a winter training mission, so they had decided to wait outside for them to finish. It was early in the morning, but the sand was covered not in dew, but in a thick blanket of snow. The rare snowfall was a welcome break to the never-ending cycle of blistering heat and bitter cold, though now it seemed the cycle was stopped on the bitter cold part. She didn't care, wrapped up in her heavy black sweater-like cloak, whose hood was lined with tan fur-like threads to keep the drifting snowflakes from reaching her eyes._

_Raven, on the other hand, was wearing nothing more than his normal violet cloak, despite her arguments for him to wear something more weather appropriate so he wouldn't catch his death in the biting temperatures of Zi's short but fierce winter. He never listened to her advice, and of course he was sick now with a cold, but he didn't show it outwardly, knowing she would nag him about it for not listening._

_The only ones of them not bothered by the frigid temperatures or biting snow was Obscura and Shadow, for they couldn't fall ill from the climate, and honestly didn't care. Obscura's pale robin egg blue coloration blended into the icier patches, save her black and violet throat and stomach and the barbed horn that adorned her head. Shadow's coloration, however, made him stick out like a Zaber Fang in a pack of Helkats._

"_Hey Raven, what do you think of all the snow?" she asked innocently, looking over at him. The ebony-haired teen beside her opened his amethyst eyes, looking out at the surreal landscape._

"_I hate snow." Raven muttered, closing his eyes again and tightening his arms crossed over his chest, shaking slightly._

"_How can you hate snow?!" Ibeyla said in shock, "I mean, what is there not to like?!"_

"_Its cold, wet, slippery, blinding, and it sticks everywhere…" he complained, shaking his head slightly to rid his hair of the snow that had collected. Ibeyla sighed loudly, shaking her head in disagreement._

"_C'mon Raven, snow is great! Watch…" she argued, walking out into an untouched patch of snow under the farthest branches of the juniper tree, laying down and making a snow angel. Raven got up and walked over to the thin trunk of the desert juniper tree, watching her try to make a snow angel._

"_All you're doing is getting your cloak wet, Ibeyla…" Raven said, pulling his thin cloak tight around him. Ibeyla ignored him and got to her feet, looking at her creation happily._

"_See Raven? Isn't that neat?" Ibeyla said, motioning to her 'slightly' lopsided snow angel. Raven glanced at it and scoffed, not at all interested in it. Ibeyla huffed in frustration, her patience wearing thin with the black-haired teen. In a last-ditch effort, she reached down and packed a snowball, throwing it at Obscura. The white clump exploded when it hit the Organoid's face, making Obscura yelp and snap her head up in surprise._

"_That was pathetic." Raven laughed, and Ibeyla's patience final ran out. She scooped up another handful of snow and fashioned another snowball, this one a little larger and heavier. She threw it at Raven, hitting him in the chest. He stopped laughing, giving her a mean look, though it didn't affect her in the slightest._

"_Happy now?" she snapped, crossing her arms, narrowing her emerald eyes slightly. Raven smirked and leaned down, making a snowball of his own. Ibeyla watched him closely, knowing he was going to throw it at her. As soon as he threw it, she put her arms up to protect her uncovered face and the open neck of her cloak, but the snowball sailed harmlessly over her head._

"_You're aim is terr- ahh!!" she was cut-off as a large amount of snow fell on top of her from the branch over her head, which Raven had hit with his snowball, making it cascade onto her and knock her to the ground, covering her in snow._

"_Now I'm happy." Raven said, busting out in laughter. Ibeyla dug her way out of the mound of snow and staggered to her feet, brushing the sticking flakes from her black cloak, glaring daggers at Raven, who was doubled over in laughter. While he was busy laughing, she picked up a clump of snow and lobbed it at the branch over his head, making a miniature avalanche of snow fall on him, knocking him to the ground with a shout of surprise in a reply of what he did to her._

"_There, now we're even." Ibeyla huffed, before she began to laugh at him. Raven fought out from under the small hill of white flakes, his face red from both embarrassment and the cold. He quickly packed a snowball and threw it at her, hitting her in the face. She instantly stopped laughing and stared at him in shock, her mouth open in surprise from the unexpected blow._

"_That wasn't funny, Raven!" she shouted, stomping her foot unhappily._

"_It was for me!" he laughed, before a snowball hit him in the face, effectively silencing him. He quickly brushed the clinging crystals from his face with his gloved hand, obviously not expecting her to return fire. As soon as he cleared the snow from his eyes, he saw Ibeyla, glaring at him with one hand on her hip and the other holding another snowball._

"_You wanna try that again?" she sneered, narrowing her eyes, tossing the snowball up and down in her hand._

"_Gladly!" Raven answered, throwing a clump of snow at her. He missed, but Ibeyla's snowball didn't, hitting him in the face again. He wiped the snow away and got to his feet, beating the snow from his cloak._

_Raven reached down to get some snow, but a well-aimed snowball from Ibeyla smacked into his head, making him jump back up. He snorted in annoyance and shook his head, shaking the snow from his hair. Ibeyla bent down and made a few more snowballs, keeping her eyes focused on Raven as he did the same. She stood back up and threw another snowball, but Raven was up as well._

_He avoided the snowball and threw one of his own, hitting her shoulder. She laughed and tossed another, hitting his stomach. Raven smirked and threw yet another, but Ibeyla dodged and countered with one of her own, hitting him in the face again. He shouted and threw a snowball blindly, missing Ibeyla by a mile, but hitting Obscura right in her yawning mouth. The Organoid gagged and choked as it flew down her throat, jumping to her feet and coughing up the snowball. She glared at Ibeyla, but she pointed to Raven, who was too busy rubbing the snow from his eyes to see._

_Obscura growled and made a snowball of her own with her large claws, packing it tightly. She snarled and lobbed it at the unsuspecting teen, hitting him in the side, the force of the blow knocking him over. He yelped as he fell to the snowy ground, not expecting a snowball to come from the side._

_Shadow lifted his head at his partner's cry, blinking his sapphire eyes and looking over at Raven. He yawned and curled back up, not really caring that his partner was being beaten by Ibeyla and Obscura with snowballs. Obscura roared and stomped over to Raven, who was just getting to his feet, snow clinging to him._

_She growled and narrowed her eyes threateningly, making Raven step away, his back to Ibeyla. Ibeyla seized the opportunity and nailed him in the back, making him spin around with a yell. He raised his arm, preparing to throw a snowball at her, but he was hit in the back again, this time by Obscura. The second he turned to throw it at Obscura, Ibeyla threw another, hitting him in the back of his head._

"_This isn't fair, Ibeyla!" Raven cried, turning to throw a snowball at her, but Obscura grabbed him and stuffed a handful of snow down the back of his cloak, making him shriek in surprise. He pulled frantically at his cloak, dropping his snowballs, trying to get the snow out before it melted. Ibeyla laughed at him, and Obscura was rolling on the snowy ground in laughter._

"_See Raven, isn't snow just great?"_

_End of flashback_

* * *

A loud yawn from Obscura caught her attention, making her turn to face her Organoid partner. The pale blue Organoid was curled up on her bed, her violet eyes half-closed. That reminded her of something, and she was hit with an idea.

"Obscura… did Prozen restrain Shadow?" Ibeyla asked, wondering if Raven's Organoid was locked up. Obscura growled quietly, and Ibeyla's eyes widened. "He did?! Do you know where?!" Obscura growled again, and Ibeyla stared at her in shock. "They locked him in the prisoner cells?! We have to get him out!!"

Ibeyla grabbed and threw on her cloak, the dark blue fabric covering her armor and battle suit. Her silver switchblade was hanging from her pocket, her only weapon. She was highly against guns of any sort, so she never carried or used them, even if it was highly recommended she did so. She hated guns ever since a bullet nicked her leg in a training mishap with Raven, and she has never even touched one since.

"Obscura, we need to get Shadow, he'll know where Raven is." Ibeyla stated, grabbing a piece of Magnite from her dresser. She looked at herself in the mirror, and saw that her hair was still down. Normally, she would have pulled it back with a little hanging down to frame her face, but she really didn't care what she looked like at the moment, she was more concerned with Raven and Shadow. She grabbed her small communicator and flicked it on, tuning to Karl's frequency.

"Karl, Shadow is in the prisoner cells, we need to get him free. He'll be able to track Raven down a lot better than we can…" Ibeyla said, hoping nobody else was picking up the conversation.

"All right." Karl answered, "I've got the tasers, so I'll met you at the cells to free Shadow".

"Okay, Obscura, let's go get Shadow and Raven…" Ibeyla said, grabbing her black pack from her chair as she headed out the door. Obscura jumped to her feet and scrambled after her, closing the door behind her. Ibeyla kept very quiet and hid herself, trying not to draw any attention, though no people were in the halls. She knew the security cameras were watching her, so she tried to look as inconspicuous as possible, as if she was just getting up to do some late-night research in the library or repair her Zoid, which she was known to get up late at night to do.

As she turned a corner, she saw someone down the hall walking towards her. She about fainted when she realized it was Harding, she never believed a word she said and always got on her case; she'd never believe her story that she was just 'going to do a late-night spot check of Spectral's systems'. Harding looked at her as she walked past her, giving her a suspicious look.

"Ibeyla, what are you doing up so late?" she questioned, turning and looking at her strangely. Ibeyla slowly turned around, looking at her.

"I was just going to the Zoids hangar to run a diagnostic on Spectral's systems, I was losing sleep over it." She answered, praying to Eve that she'd buy it. She narrowed her eyes disbelievingly, which made her nervous.

"Didn't you do that earlier, Ibeyla?" she said suspiciously, making her even more nervous.

"Yeah I did, but I didn't check the weapons system…" she sighed, as if laughing at herself, "… I just wanted to make sure that laser bolt Spectral received during the fight didn't fry the Pulse Laser firing system and all."

"Well… hurry and run your test and get some sleep." Harding snapped, "There were some sightings of Republican soldiers nearby, and you'll need to be rested if they attack." She huffed before turning and walking away. Ibeyla waited until she was out of sight before she breathed a sigh of relief, happy she bought it. She started to turn to keep walking, when she froze.

"Republican soldiers…? Here?" she said, turning and looking out the glass wall to her left. The observation area she was in overlooked the desert, which was usually devoid of anything. She, however, could see something, a metallic glint glimmering in the moonlight. Her eyes widened, realizing that it was a Zoid, and not just any Zoid- it was a _Republic_ Command Wolf.

"Obscura!" she whispered loudly, pointing to the barely visible Zoid in the distance. The blue Organoid's eyes focused on the silver shape, a deep growl rumbling from her throat. "C'mon, its just a Command Wolf, it can't do any harm. Right now, we need to go free Shadow and get Raven out-" before she could finish, a loud explosion erupted from somewhere in the base, shaking the very foundation. She staggered and fell to the ground, Obscura roaring and fanning her large crimson wings. The lights flickered and shut off, pitch black descending on the palace.

Ibeyla started to get up, but another explosion shook the palace, making her fall again. She hit her head against the metal wall, knocking her senseless. She collapsed to the floor, another blast ripping through the base. Obscura roared loudly, staggering to stay on her feet as the whole palace swayed beneath her.

Ibeyla struggled to her feet, turning and running down the hallway towards the prisoner cells, hoping Karl and Raven were all right…

* * *

**AN**- sorry the beginning was a little dry, but I've been sick the last few days, and I can't write as well when I'm sick. I loved the flashback, that and Lied and Raven playing. But, now the power is out, the palace under attack, and one egg possibly dead. Could things get any worse? Of course they could!! XP But, I hoped you liked this chapter anyway!! Thanks for reading and please review!! Oh, and I uploaded a newer, better picture of Lied to my DeviantART account!! Use the link in my profile page to reach it! Thanks again for reading!! ;D

_**~Ibeyla ^^**_


	8. Plans Falling into Place

**AN**- Hello, ShadowRebirth37 here!! Yahoo!! My first update of the 'o9 year!! XD I have worked long and hard on this chapter, so I hope it shows. The beginning isn't the best, but the ending I think is alright. Sorry, but I have been in pain for the last few weeks, I pulled a major muscle in my lower back playing Lacrosse in gym class, and I was in pain for two weeks. I couldn't even use my laptop, but there was an upside to it- it gave me time to think. I have the rest of the storyline for this, _**To Save a Raven**_, and my unposted fics _**Predatory Instincts**_ and _**Scorpian**_, and I will be updating a lot of my old fics this week- such as _**The Ghost and the Raven**_! So keep your eyes open!! ;D Anyway, enjoy chapter 8- Plans Falling Into Place!!!

Btw, the italicized part is another of Raven's dreams about his first night with Lied. It takes place right after the last one. Just thought I'd let you know. XP

* * *

Ibeyla ran down the darkened halls, skidding around corners with Obscura close behind. The attack had collapsed several of the corridors, sealing off the wing from the rest of the palace. Thankfully, since her quarters, the cells and the Pit were all located in this wing, she would still be able to try and get to Raven and Shadow. But if he was hurt, he could die, for the infirmary was in another wing.

_/Ibeyla, slow down! You can't see where your going!/_ Obscura warned, growling as she tried to keep pace with the young Zoidian.

"Listen, Obscura!" Ibeyla shouted, skidding to a stop, listening. Obscura froze as well, and they both heard loud roaring coming from the _empty_ prisoner cells. "That must be Shadow, c'mon, we need to get him out of there." Ibeyla said before bolting off, Obscura dogging her. She ran down the hallway and turned into the cells, following the sounds of loud roaring and beating wings.

_/Let me out! Let me out!/_ Ibeyla could hear Shadow screaming, the Organoid obviously distressed. Obscura roared back to him, unfurling her own ruby wings. Shadow yowled back, before he fell silent.

"Shadow! Shadow hold on! I'm coming to get you out!" Ibeyla called to him, hoping he would calm down some. She ran towards where she had heard him roaring, and skid to a stop in front of the cell. Shadow was sprawled out on the cold stone floor, his wheezing breath shallow and labored, looking as if he was about to die.

"Shadow!!" Ibeyla screamed, kicking open the metal bar door and running over to him. The Organoid didn't react, and she knew that was not a good sign. She kneeled down to his level, reaching out and laying her hand on the dark Organoid's neck. He shuddered at her touch, his eye opening briefly, before closing again.

_/Make it stop… make it stop…/_ Shadow whined, repeating the same thing over and over, _/… make it stop… make it stop…/_ Ibeyla didn't know what had him in so much pain, until she spied the restraining bolt fastened to his neck.

"Dear Eve… they used a restraining bolt!" Ibeyla yelled, angry that they would use something so painful and torturous on the poor Organoid. She looked at the tiny blue device, searching for the shut-off or release switches. She became frustrated when she couldn't find them, and simply tore the small device from his neck. Shadow roared in pain, but soon quieted, taking deep breaths as he tried to regain his strength.

_/Thank you…/_ he said weakly, panting heavily, _/… Raven?/_

"Prozen… they locked him in the Pit, Shadow…" Ibeyla said quietly, not wanting to panic the Organoid. Shadow's eyes flashed open, glowing brightly in the dark cell.

_/What?! How dare he!! I'll kill him!!/_ Shadow roared, managing to fan his crimson wings weakly. Ibeyla patted his snout to calm him, not wanting him to injure himself.

"Calm down Shadow, you're in no condition to kill anyone, and besides, you'd get Raven locked in there forever if you did that…" Ibeyla said quietly, slowly rubbing his smooth snout, "… right now, are first priority is finding a way into the Pit without anyone seeing, if the corridors are still intact…"

_/Feh… I can just make a new corridor…/_ Shadow smirked, _/… I just need to get free of these restraints and stand on my own two feet first…/_ Ibeyla reached into her pocket, pulling out the piece of Zoid Magnite. Shadow's eyes widened as he saw the glowing mineral, his tail wagging excitedly.

"Here you go boy, you need it…" Ibeyla smiled, tossing the Magnite at the dark Organoid. Shadow snapped it up greedily, chewing it loudly and swallowing hungrily, licking his lips and tapping his tail happily. His body glowed blue for a brief moment, his energy returning. Ibeyla unfastened the restraints attached to his body, freeing Shadow from his bonds. He staggered to his feet and roared happily, fanning his large wings in relief.

_/Thank you, Ibeyla…/_ Shadow said, nuzzling her shoulder and purring loudly. Ibeyla laughed and scratched his head, standing up and turning to Obscura.

"Hey girl, do you see Karl anywhere?" she asked, finding it odd that he hadn't yet arrived. Obscura shrugged, glancing down the hallway, obviously not seeing him. "That's weird…" she muttered, "… I hope he wasn't hurt. Oh no… c'mon guys, we better go find him, we'll need him and the tasers he has…" Shadow and Obscura both nodded, following her as she made her way out of the cell.

'_This isn't right… he shouldn't be taking this long… something terrible must have happened to him…'_

* * *

Karl walked quietly through the black halls of the palace, holding five high-powered tasers and a small med-kit he had taken from the storage room. He had heard the attack, and had had to reroute his way due to the collapse of several of the corridors. He was worried that Ibeyla had been injured in the attack, but he knew the young Zoidian was more than capable of taking care of herself. But now he was worried the attack had damaged the Pit, possibly allowing the creatures to escape, and he knew from experience that they were much bolder and aggressive at night and in darkness. He held a flashlight that he had taken, shining the bright light ahead, trying to make sure he didn't run into anything.

He rounded a blind corner much too quickly, and ran into something hard, causing him to fall backwards with a shout of surprise, the tasers and med-kit scattering everywhere. Karl shook his head and groaned, briefly dazed by hitting whatever-it-was that he had run into. The silence was broken by a long, low metallic growl, making Karl freeze. He looked up slowly, and his heart skipped a beat when he realized what he had run into and just what was standing over him…

For it was one of the Organoids, the orange-eyed one, staring down at him with bloody teeth bared…

Karl stared at it in shock and horror, seeing the blood that coated its muzzle. It was dry and starting to fall off its smooth armor, but he had a feeling it had come from Raven. The Organoid growled deeply and leaned down, narrowing its burning eyes, its face twisting into a crooked snarl as it opened its jaws. Karl panicked and grabbed one of the tasers, firing blindly at the creature and praying to Eve that the bolts found their marks.

The Organoid grunted as the bolts stuck its chest, sticking between the armor plates, the inch-long spears seeming to be no annoyance to the creature. That didn't last, however. The Organoid screamed in pain as the electricity shot through its body, shaking its head and roaring in agony. It clawed frantically at its chest in a desperate attempt to pull them from its armor, but it was of no use, it was already too late. As soon as the voltage ceased ravaging its systems, the Organoid groaned in pain and collapsed to the ground, whining weakly in pain before its eyes closed and body relaxed, knocked unconscious.

Karl looked at it for a long moment; not believing a single taser had taken it down. He shook the thought from his mind as he got to his feet; after all, it wasn't like he didn't want the Organoid down and unconscious. He quickly gathered the items he dropped and carefully stepped over the unmoving beast, starting down the hallway towards the cells.

'_Helkat! I used one of them, and Ibeyla and I will need all of them to take Lied down! Well, if one did that to a male, I think three should be able to at least incapacitate her long enough to get Raven away. But if her eggs have hatched, I may have to shoot the hatchlings…'_ he thought, cursing under his breath.

He tightened his grip on his flashlight, watching for any of the other Organoids as he hurried towards the cells to meet up with Ibeyla and Shadow. As soon as this was over he was going to '_talk_' with Prozen about putting Raven in there in the first place, and about not monitoring the Organoids more closely. Just the thought of Raven being injured and alone with the female made him angry, and he wanted nothing more than to shoot that female if it had severely harmed the young pilot; he didn't deserve it.

Lost in his thoughts, he rounded another corner, and again he ran into something. He fell backwards to the ground, and whatever he hit fell back too with a yelp. Karl looked, and realized he had run into Ibeyla, the young Zoidian girl rubbing her forehead and groaning loudly.

"Karl… you need to watch where you're going, I think I've got a concussion…" Ibeyla whined, rubbing her forehead. Karl laughed slightly, helping her to her feet.

"Just be thankful it was me you ran into, I ran into something not so friendly a few minutes ago…" Karl said, gathering up the tasers scattered across the floor. Ibeyla looked at him strangely, as if what he said didn't make sense.

"What do you mean, Karl?" she asked, picking up the fired taser and looking at it oddly.

"I mean I ran into one of the Organoids…" he said, "… I had to shoot it to keep it from attacking me. Luckily it was the smallest male, if it had been the alpha male I could have had some trouble with it."

"What?! One of them is loose?!" she said, her eyes widening, "Which one was it, the orange-eyed one or the red-eyed one?"

"The orange-eyed one, but… but it had dried blood on its muzzle like the red-eyed one did Ibeyla… I fear Raven is in a much worse situation than we thought…" he said quietly, worried for Raven's life. Ibeyla grew pale, as if she had seen a ghost.

"We have to get in there Karl, I feel Raven is in danger…" she said softly, "… Shadow feels it too, something bad happened to him, and I fear Lied is probably the culprit…"

"Well, I guess we have no choice then…" Karl sighed, looking in the direction of the Pit…

"… if Lied interferes, we'll have to kill her…"

* * *

_Raven yawned quietly as he started to wake up, awoken by a strange feeling on his stomach. He opened his eyes slightly, blinking as he tried to adjust his vision, which was still a little blurry. He rubbed his eyes sleepily, which helped clear the haze, but his vision still seemed slightly foggy. He was feeling better, his stomach not hurting as much and his energy starting to return, though he still felt weak from the blood loss._

_A soft growl caught his attention, making him turn to his right. Of course it was just Lied, whose head was lifted and soft eyes looking at him. Raven smiled and reached towards her, laying his hand on her snout. Lied purred loudly and closed her eyes, pushing her snout lightly against his hand. She growled happily and licked his hand, making him laugh quietly._

_As he petted her, he looked at his arm, and realized he had a scrape from when Lied and defended him from the two Organoids. He pulled his hand back and looked at it more closely, the small wound hurting now that he knew he had it. Lied growled quietly and cocked her head, as if perplexed by his action._

_She snorted quietly and leaned her head close to him, looking at the minor wound. She sniffed it curiously, nosing him softly as she looked at the scrape. Lied growled softly and licked the wound, a silvery liquid dripping from her jaws. Raven cringed, the contact hurting at first, but the pain vanished as soon as the fluid coated the injury. Lied growled and nosed his shoulder, making a thrumming noise, licking his face. Raven laughed and patted her snout, feeling better now that the pain was gone._

"_Thanks, I feel much better now." He said, smiling slightly. Lied growled happily and nuzzled him, making him laugh. He was still leaning against her, not at all worried or threatened by the large Organoid. She smiled comically and nuzzled his shoulder, making him laugh again. He reached up and ran his hand up and down her neck, feeling the white streaks marbled into her black body. She growled happily and nuzzled him again, her milk-white eyes closed._

_He scratched her under her chin, looking down at where the red-eyed Organoid had bitten him. The silvery fluid covered the wounds, and he realized that was why he wasn't in pain anymore. It also appeared to help control the bleeding, for the wounds were no longer leaking blood like they had been. He knew that the cool, strange feeling of the liquid was a good sign; most antiseptics and antibacterial medicines had the same strange sensation, which meant that the liquid was probably like an antibiotic and would stop him from getting sick from the wound._

_Raven petted her snout, but shivered, suddenly cold. It was late at night, and since the Pit's electricity was disconnected, the heat no longer worked. Lied noticed and lifted her head, cocking her head and growling quizzically. Raven patted her muzzle reassuringly, but he was cold, and he knew that wasn't good for him in his condition. Lied growled and nosed him softly, looking at him oddly, as if she was worried about him._

"_I-I'm cold…" Raven said, looking at her. Lied blinked and looked at him, almost as if to say 'what do you mean? Its fine in here!'. But the look faded and she glanced around, as if trying to find something to help him. She shifted slightly, carefully standing up, gently moving him so he was leaning against the wall. Lied turned and leaned down to the floor-level cabinets to Raven's right, nosing one open with her snout._

_Lied used her clawed hands to fully open the cabinet door, the rusty hinges refusing to move after years of disuse. She growled in frustration and pushed on it sharply, the hinges making a loud snapping, finally relenting and opening for her. The ebony Organoid stuck her head inside, obviously seeing something she liked._

_Raven watched as she pulled her head back, a heavy army-green blanket clutched lightly in her jaws. She lifted her head and shook it, shaking all the collected dust and dirt from the fabric. A cloud of dust filled the air, making her sneeze loudly, dropping the blanket. Raven snickered at her expression as she leaned down, making her look at him. She smiled comically as she picked the blanket up in her claws, making him laugh louder._

_Lied walked over to him and leaned down, gently covering him in the blanket. She was being very careful to not touch his wounds and not cause him any discomfort, trying to make him as comfortable as possible. As she covered Raven up, one of her claws accidentally brushed against his left side, making him laugh loudly. She jumped slightly, looking at him oddly, cocking her head and growling quietly._

"_Sorry if I startled you, I'm ticklish…" Raven said, smirking slightly at the startled Organoid. Lied cocked her head and leaned down to him, lightly touching his side with her powerful talons, making him laugh again. She smirked and tickled his side, making him laugh. Raven couldn't help it; she was getting him in his one ticklish spot. The Organoid started to snicker, no doubt finding it humorous. She was being very gentle and careful with her claws, making sure the razored edges didn't cut into him or his clothes, and keeping the sharp tips from tearing the blanket or his shirt._

_Lied smirked and finally stopped, letting him breathe and rest. Raven smiled and patted her muzzle, making her growl happily and close her eyes. She purred and licked his face, making him laugh quietly. Lied laid down next to him, nuzzling his shoulder, licking his cheek again. Raven smiled and petted her neck, making the Organoid growl happily and wag her tail. Her cartoony grin made Raven snicker, the childish smile making her look comical and harmless._

_Raven reached out and scratched her muzzle, making the Organoid purr loudly. He yawned suddenly, starting to realize he was still tired. Lied opened her eyes and cocked her head, but made a yawn of her own. She curled up and laid her head on his lap, sighing quietly as she closed her eyes, fully relaxing. Raven laid his head on her snout and leaned his head back, closing his eyes and sighing quietly._

_Lied started to make her song-like purr, making him sleepy, and he quickly fell into a deep sleep…_

* * *

Raven only got about twenty minutes worth of sleep, a strange pressure on his shoulder making him wake up. He groaned and blinked his eyes open, looking over at his left shoulder. Unsurprisingly, it was Lied, her snout pressed lightly against his shoulder. The ebony Organoid growled curiously, nosing his shoulder gently, a questioning look in her eyes. Raven reached up and laid his hand on her snout, confused on why Lied had woken him up.

"W-what girl?" he yawned, wanting to go back to sleep, the sedative still heavily affecting him. Lied growled loudly, pointing to his mouth with her clawed hand, making a raspy cough-like noise. Raven looked at her strangely, not understanding, until it clicked. "I was coughing?" he asked, wondering why she had woken up over such a small thing. She nodded her head, touching his mouth with her claw and holding it in front of his face. Raven stared at it, and realized blood was dripping off the razored edge.

"I'm… I'm coughing blood?!" he asked quickly, wiping his mouth with his gloved hand. Sure enough, a smear of slick crimson covered the back of his glove, and he knew that was a very bad sign. Lied cocked her head and nosed him, growling softly. "Lied… this, this isn't good…" he said quietly, looking up at her, "… I… I could die, Lied…" he added, looking her in the eyes. Lied's expression changed instantly, replaced by one of fear and worry.

Lied growled softly and licked his face, gently nuzzling his cheek and purring. Raven couldn't help but smile, her touch helping to keep his mind off the fact he was bleeding internally. He reached up and stroked her neck, running his hand up and down her throat. She purred louder, licking him again, before she laid down beside him and pressed the side of her face against his chest, making a deep, thrumming noise.

Raven sighed and closed his eyes, all but forgetting about the blood he had been coughing up. Lied purred softly, gently nuzzling his chest, tapping her spined tail tip against the floor. Raven reached up and laid his hand on her muzzle without opening his eyes, running his fingers over her smooth snout. She nuzzled him again and purred, being very careful not to cause him any pain. Raven smiled and stroked her muzzle, making her growl quietly and slowly wag her tail. She purred again, licking his face before she nuzzled him again.

"C'mon Lied… I'm fine…" Raven sighed and opened his eyes, patting her snout lightly. Lied lifted her head and looked at him with her milky eyes, as if in disagreement. She growled and flicked the tip of her tail, narrowing her eyes playfully, cocking her head. Raven smirked and pushed on her snout, making her snort loudly. Lied grinned evilly and roughed up his hair with her talons, making Raven groan in annoyance.

"Alright, alright!" Raven laughed, pushing her hand away. Lied growled in amusement as Raven shook his head, trying get his hair to lay flat where Lied had messed it up. Lied snickered at him, obviously finding it humorous. "You think you're so funny…" Raven said sarcastically, smirking and flicking her nose. Lied yelped and snapped her head back, silent and staring at him, as if surprised by the unexpected move.

Her look of shock faded, and was replaced with an evil humor. She growled evilly and nosed his ticklish side, making him laugh loudly. Lied sneered and started licking him, making him laugh harder. Raven couldn't help it, helpless to stop the Organoid as she nosed and licked his ticklish side, unable to do anything to stop her. Lied starting laughing as well, no doubt finding his laughter and inability to stop her amusing.

Just to add to his torture, Lied started to use her clawed hands as well, making Raven laugh even harder. Raven was on the verge of tears he was laughing so hard, the Organoid getting him in his one weak spot. Lied apparently was having fun, her tail wagging excitedly and mouth stretched into a broad grin. Raven had completely forgotten about the earlier discovery that he was bleeding internally, Lied's version of play distracting him away from that disheartening truth.

"Okay Lied, okay! You win!!" Raven laughed, gasping for air, "I surrender!!" he added, still laughing. Lied roared in victory and stopped, her tail still wagging and still smiling broadly. Raven was breathing heavily, trying to catch his breath, a smile on his face. He smirked and reached towards Lied, laying his hand on her snout. Lied grinned and growled happily, her tail still wagging, obviously still relishing her 'victory'. Raven couldn't help but smirk at her childish and comical appearance, the Organoid looking more like a playful puppy than a dangerous creature.

Lied growled happily, licking his hand, a childish grin still covering her face. Raven laughed and patted her snout, making her growl louder and wag her tail harder. She closed her eyes and smiled, mouth stretched into a toothy grin, looking more like a cartoon character than a powerful Organoid. Raven couldn't help but laugh, which made her start chuckling as well.

He reached up and laid his hand on her neck, making her growl happily. He smirked as she wagged her spine-tipped tail, the dangerous creature looking no more dangerous than a puppy. Lied purred and licked his face, making him smile. He reached up and ran his hand up and down her neck; making her growl softly and nuzzle his chest gently, purring softly.

"Y-you know, Lied, I was wrong… you haven't changed…" Raven said quietly, running his hand over Lied's smooth muzzle. Lied growled softly and pressed the side of her face against his chest, closing her eyes and licking his hand. Raven smiled and stroked her muzzle, forgetting all about his pain and that he was trapped and bleeding internally. Lied nuzzled him gently, purring, behaving the same, if not kinder and gentler, than when he was eight.

"I w-wished I could have come to see you, Lied… I missed this…" he said, closing his eyes. Lied growled softly, tilting her head and licking his cheek, as if agreeing with him, before lightly pressing against him again. Raven smiled slightly, slowly running his hand over her crest, making her purr. Lied relaxed fully, and began to make her thrumming, purr-like song, tapping her tail in tune.

Raven sighed quietly, listening to Lied's song, before he slowly started to fall into a deep sleep…

* * *

**AN**- Isn't little Raven just so cute and innocent? XP I still love Raven and Lied's adorable interactions with each other. But uh oh, if Lied tries to stop Karl and Ibeyla from reaching Raven they'll shoot her and possibly her hatchlings! What a horrible misunderstanding!! Could such a tragedy happen?! Of course it could, but that doesn't mean it will! How evil am I with suspense? XP Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter!!

Again, I have two pictures of Lied uploaded to my DeviantART account, one old and in color and another newer and more accurate but in plain graphite. You guys should view them if you want to visualize her better.

And, I have added a few new ideas to my '**New Fic Ideas**' section in my profile. Please read them and PM my your thoughts on them. I hold high hopes for _**Scorpian**_ (misspelled intentionally) personally, its going to be a goodie if y'all want it posted. And, if anyone is really interested, I can send you a few paragraph summery detailing the fic. But no plot hints!! And after reading please vote in the poll in my profile over which deserves to be posted!!

Anyway, thanks for reading!! I hope you enjoyed it!! Thanks again and please leave a nice review!! They feed my muses and make me write faster!! ;D

_**~Ibeyla ^^**_


	9. Hatching

**AN**- Hello, ShadowRebirth37 here!! Yeah… LONG overdue update. Well… thanks to encouraging and a little help from _ITman496_, I finally decided to post this chapter. And in this chapter… the soldiers infiltrate the base, Raven's condition deteriorates, and everyone's worst fears are realized. Badness is written all over this. XD Anyway, I hope you enjoy chapter 9- Hatching!! (makes you _really_ worry about Raven, doesn't it? XD)

Btw, the italicized part is a flashback to when Lied was captured by Prozen and his men. It also explains why she hates humans so much.

* * *

Ibeyla and Karl quietly made their way through the darkened corridors towards the Pit, each holding a taser with one just in case. The two Organoids plodded along behind them, listening for any noise. Despite the attacks, the halls were empty, strange considering the noise and destruction the sudden bombardment had caused. The whole palace should be awake, and yet, they hadn't seen a single soul in the corridors.

_/Ibeyla, someone is coming, from the right corridor…/_ Obscura said suddenly, both she and Shadow skidding to a stop. Ibeyla grabbed Karl's sleeve and stopped him, her eyes focused on the branching corridor.

"Major… someone's coming…" she whispered, her gaze not moving from the corridor. Karl looked as well, both completely silent. They could hear footsteps approaching them, but if it was friend or foe, they didn't know.

_/Ibeyla, hide!! They're Republican soldiers!!/_ Shadow growled a warning, flashing his broad wings. Ibeyla grabbed Karl's arm and pulled him into a branching corridor, the two Organoids following her. Before Karl had a chance to protest, they all heard a small group of Republican soldiers enter the hallway they had been standing in just moments before.

"Sir, I thought I heard something!" a soldier shouted, making Ibeyla's heart nearly stop.

"Your hearing things Private…" another soldier snapped, "… now put that gun away before you hurt yourself and c'mon. We need to find those _things_ before it's too late, or the Captain will have our hides…" the sound of the soldiers' footsteps faded down another hallway, until silence once again descended on the corridor. Ibeyla and Karl waited a few moments before she peered around the corner, making sure it was safe.

"Okay… they're gone…" she whispered loudly, turning to look back at Karl and the Organoids, "… but what're they after?" Karl shrugged, having no clue. "I'm getting really worried about Raven. C'mon, we need to hurry and get in there before those soldiers find us or blow our cover." Ibeyla said, stepping out into the hallway. She looked down the hallway, making sure no one else was around, before she signaled to Karl and the Organoids to come out.

_/Ibeyla, I… I'm sensing something… strange…/_ Obscura said quietly, her eyes focused down the hallway at something unseen. Ibeyla looked at her Organoid oddly, not understanding what she was trying to say. _/I've only felt something like this once before… when Glai went into labor-/_ the Organoid stopped suddenly, her body completely freezing. Ibeyla's eyes widened in shock and horror when she realized what Obscura was saying, and her hopes for Raven died in her heart…

"Dear Eve… we just ran out of time…"

* * *

Lied was relaxing peacefully in her secluded room, curled protectively around Raven; her 'adopted' hatchling snuggled into her. Raven was almost completely obscured from sight, huddled against Lied's side with her arched around him, the ebony Organoid's tail wrapped around his body like a metallic serpent, holding him close to her as he slept. She hadn't been able to sleep, a strange apprehension eating away at her, forcing her to stay awake. The unfounded anxiety puzzled the large Organoid, and she began to worry if she was sensing the death of the egg she had entrusted to Raven.

'_Have I lost my daughter to the deathsleep so soon?'_ she thought sadly, afraid that her youngest laid was dead, _'No… I am sensing something else… are my hatchlings nearing the birthtime?'_ she questioned, a spark of excitement flashing within her. She blinked open her milky eyes, sighing loudly and yawning, her bladed silver teeth glinting in the dim light of the lamp. Shaking her spined head slightly, she arched her neck around, her gaze falling on Raven, and a smile appeared on her face.

Raven was deeply sleeping against her, his head resting on her shoulder. Despite his devastating injuries, he was entirely unbothered by her tail wrapped fully around his body, completely relaxed within her hold. Even though he appeared fine to her, Lied could sense something wrong, something wasn't right in him. _'The blood he was coughing… he is injured inside, where I cannot heal him…'_ she thought in worry, sighing at her inability to help him, _'I can feel his strength fading… but not from Greifer and Argon's wounds? I sense the wound on his side is what's killing him…'_ she pondered, looking at his side although her tail obscured her view, _'He… he's __dying__… the deathsleep is gaining a hold on his life, and I cannot stop it! I don't have the energy to heal him… he is at the deathsleep's mercy…'_

Lied whined softly, feeling completely helpless as she looked at her 'hatchling'. Raven was slowly dying literally right before her eyes, and he didn't even know it. Death threatened to take both him and her unborn daughter from her, and she couldn't do a thing to help either of them.

The fact that Argon would harm _her_ Raven deeply enraged her, making her gnash her teeth in anger. _'I'll kill him… how dare he hurt __my__ hatchling!'_ she snarled in her mind, curling her lip and growling outwardly, _'… if he did this to Raven, what will he do to my hatchlings? … … He cannot be trusted…'_ she seethed in her mind, narrowing her glowing eyes in anger at the thought of her mate harming Raven or her eggs. She involuntarily clenched her claws, digging long furrows into the metal floor with her large talons. _'I can sense a tragedy, a death on the horizon…'_ she sighed loudly, a distant memory floating into her mind, _'… I haven't felt so since that night, when they took me away…'_

* * *

_Flashback_

_Lied was curled up deep within her cave, her larger brother Zaku wrapped around her, his head resting beside hers and tail tips twined together. His shining obsidian body was blacker even than her own, making her seem dull and grayed beside him. His glittering violet eyes gleamed in the black, the normally unnoticeable crimson hue of his left eye obvious in the darkness. His flared crest gave him a regal and powerful appearance, hinting at his strength and speed in battle. The large male Organoid had a small golden scar across his discolored eye, giving him an intimidating stare. But he was far from aggressive towards her, and she returned the same to him. His beautiful black wings were spread over her body like a blanket, the golden ribs and violet edges standing out against the lighter ebony color. His silvered claws held a golden hue, and his tail was armed with a sword-like blade. Despite his fearsome and dangerous appearance, Zaku was no more than a large purring kitten to Lied._

_Zaku was there because she was worried. She was nervous and frightened; something bad was about to happen. Being her brother, Zaku tried to comfort her, but his presence only calmed her so much…_

_Zaku lifted her head, his eyes glowing in the darkness. /Lied… did you hear that?/ he said suddenly, looking around. Lied lifted her head, blinking her milky eyes._

_/I don't see anything…/ she said, curling back up. Zaku growled loudly and got to his feet, folding his large wings and walking towards the entrance of the chamber. Lied yawned, curling around herself, wanting to sleep. Zaku had disappeared from sight, but she could hear him clearly._

_Suddenly, Zaku roared loudly, and Lied could hear the yelp of a human. She was on her feet in an instant, running to her mate. He was surrounded by soldiers, ropes around his neck. /Zaku!/ she cried, snarling and whipping her spined tail at one of the soldiers. She slammed into the man, throwing him into the wall, killing him instantly. She pounced on another, breaking his neck._

"_Get the female!!" one of the men cried, and suddenly Lied found ropes all over her body, looped around her neck, pulling in opposite directions. She roared and fought against the soldiers, trying to free herself._

_Without warning, she felt two pin pricks in her side. Lied whipped around to see, when there was a sudden, overwhelming pain as electricity ripped through her body. She screamed, thrashing violently, trying to escape. She slashed a soldier's chest open with her talons, and tore the throat of another with her teeth. She felt more pin pricks, the bolts of tasers, and more electricity ripped through her metal body._

_Screaming and wailing in pain, Lied collapsed, twitching and jerking, her body in chaos from the tasers. She whined, unable to move, beginning to lose consciousness. She managed to see her brother being dragged away, seemingly dead; his still body limp and lifeless as the soldiers hauled him from the cave. She could only watch helplessly as the men began to drag her away as well. They drug her from the cave, across the hot sand, to a pair of green vehicles._

"_Excellent… a female!" a white haired man said, "Put her in with the other two… and separate that big male… he's too good a specimen to use for the Pit…" he said, and she could only watch as her brother was taken from her, and as she was shoved into a cage with three other, sedated and tied, Organoids. There was nothing she could do to save herself, her brother, or the other Organoids. She was completely and utterly helpless._

_Lied cried out in emotional pain, weakly biting at the iron bars of her cage, clawing at the metal floor. She __needed__ to get free, to save her brother. But she couldn't, she didn't have the strength. She squeezed her eyes shut, silvery tears building in her eyes. She banged her spined tail against the side of the cage, leaving a smear of blood. She chewed at the bars, trying desperately to get out. But it was all in vain._

_She called to her brother, a long, sad song; a call of sadness and pain. She listened for a reply, but none came. She called again and again, but still no call answered her. Her heart ached; she feared her brother was dead. She whimpered and licked at the blood coating her jaws, swearing revenge against not only the white-haired man, but every human, for taking her brother from her…_

_End of flashback_

* * *

A quiet groan from Raven shattered her thoughts, making her blink and turn to look at him, momentarily forgetting her rage. The young human shifted slightly in his sleep, his breathing changing, become stressed and labored, as if he was struggling to catch his breath. Lied immediately loosened her tail from around him, but his breathing didn't ease, and Lied began to worry. She growled softly and lightly nosed his chest, trying to rouse him. Raven shuddered and moaned loudly, not waking, further distressing the ebony Organoid. He winced and coughed suddenly before he finally stilled, dark blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. Lied's eyes widened in concern upon seeing the blood, fearing her 'hatchling' was more badly injured than she thought. She crooned and licked his face, gently nuzzling into his throat, trying to get him to respond. Raven groaned and opened his eyes slightly, nothing more than amethyst slits behind his coal-black hair, looking at her blankly. Lied growled softly and licked him again, but he didn't react any more than a slow blink.

"W… w-what?" Raven wheezed, slowly focusing on her. Lied lowered her head further and looked him in the eyes, growing more fearful for Raven's life. His gaze met hers; her milky eyes glowing brightly in the dim room, his eyes dull and clouded. She rumbled and licked his cheek again, blinking her bright eyes, her worry growing upon his lack of response. Raven looked at her blankly for another moment, before he finally seemed to snap out of his trance. He blinked his eyes sleepily and shook his head slightly, exhaling quietly and looking at her oddly. Lied growled softly and carefully nosed him, whining quietly in concern. Raven blinked and wriggled his arm free from beneath her tail and reached up towards her, laying his gloved hand lightly on her marbled snout.

"I'm a-awake…" he yawned slightly, clearly showing he wanted to go back to sleep, "… w-what's wrong?" he asked, letting his hand fall from her muzzle. Lied growled quietly and shifted slightly, freeing her arm from beneath her, careful not to cause Raven any discomfort. She licked her claws and slowly reached towards his face, gently wiping the blood from his mouth with a bladed talon. She held her hand out in front of him for him to see, and he grew immediately pale upon seeing the vibrant crimson.

"Again?" Raven said, looking up at her, "… t-that's not a good sign, Lied…" he said more quietly, an air of fear in his hazy amethystine eyes. Lied purred softly and licked his cheek, gently nuzzling against his neck, laying her head lightly on his left shoulder with a quiet sigh. She closed her eyes as she felt Raven's arms wrap around her neck, his head resting against her cheek, her 'hatchling' exhaling quietly. She could feel the faint beating of the human's heart, hear his strained breathing, but she knew there was little she could do to help him. The unbearable feeling of helplessness ate away at her, making her feel weak and powerless, and making her want to just scream.

Lied purred softly and slowly pulled her head back, Raven's arms sliding from her neck. She smirked and licked his face, making her 'hatchling' laugh. Hearing him laugh eased the ache in her heart, helping her to momentarily forget the graveness of the situation. Lied growled and withdrew her tail from around him, drawing a puzzled look from her 'hatchling'. She merely smirked and carefully stood up, leaning him against the wall, remaining crouched over him. Raven gave her a confused look as she curled up to his left, but she just smiled her cartoonish smile and rumbled in her throat.

Raven smirked at her, no doubt realizing what she was thinking. His smirk widened slightly and he pushed lightly on her snout, making her growl loudly in playful annoyance. She flicked his hand off and caught it in her jaws, holding his gloved hand gently with her teeth. Raven blinked his eyes in surprise and looked at her strangely, making her smirk broadly and narrow her eyes evilly. He tried to pull his hand back slightly and tensed when he couldn't, seeming to shy away from her gaze. Lied blinked her eyes and relaxed her hold on his hand, her smirk vanishing, letting him pull his hand back, afraid she had frightened her 'hatchling'. She purred softly to him and leaned down to his level, cooing and lightly touching his shoulder with her nose. Raven seemed to pull away in trepidation, making Lied fear she had scared him by grabbing him so suddenly. She crooned and licked his cheek, but he turned away, making her whine sadly. Cooing, she nuzzled against his neck, making him turn back, his eyes slightly brighter. Before she could blink, Raven smirked and flicked her sensitive nose, making her snarl in fright and snap her head back in surprise. Her 'hatchling' snickered at her, and she realized Raven had merely been faking in order to get at her, and that she had fallen for it.

"You're so predictable…" Raven teased, laughing at her shocked expression. The cream-marked Organoid blinked her bright eyes as she watched Raven laugh, an evil smirk crossing her muzzle as she spied an opening. Lied growled mischievously and lunged with her talons spread, brushing her metal claws against his side, making him yelp loudly as she got him in his one ticklish spot. Raven laughed and tried to push away from her, but she snaked her tail around him and pulled him closer, preventing him from escaping her. He struggled slightly against the powerful tail coiling around his body, but she was being gentle, avoiding putting any pressure on his sensitive wounds, just keeping him from evading her talons. Lied growled evilly and dug her talons into the side of her helpless 'victim', making him laugh loudly and squirm within her clutches.

"This isn't fair!" Raven managed between laughs, trying to wriggle free of her grasp. Lied smiled broadly and ignored his protests, continuing to tickle him with her powerful talons. Raven couldn't help but keep laughing, unable to do anything to stop her with her tail wrapped around him, effectively restraining him. She chuckled as she tickled him, seeing him laughing and enjoying it. He was smiling and his eyes were squeezed shut, laughing uncontrollably as she continued to playfully brush her talons down his side. Lied's smile broadened as she watched him try in vain to wriggle free, but she tightened her grip around him and pulled him even closer, digging her razored claws further into him, her 'hatchling' squeaking loudly.

"Okay Lied!" Raven yelped, continuing to laugh, "You win!" he choked out, struggling to catch his breath from laughing so hard. Lied smirked evilly and roared in triumph, stopping and allowing him to breathe. Raven gasped for breath until he smiled and pulled his arm free, reaching up and laying his hand on her snout. Lied purred and lowered her head to his level, pressing her nose lightly against his cheek. He laughed and ran his hand up and down her neck, making her growl happily and lick him, which in turn made him giggle. Lied smiled and purred loudly, gently nuzzling his neck and shoulder, making him laugh. Raven smirked and tried to push her head away playfully, but Lied had another idea.

With an evil growl, Lied narrowed her milky eyes and whipped her spined tail tip around his arm, coiling around it like a snake. Raven immediately tried to pull his arm back, but she tightened her grip slightly, preventing him from moving. He started struggling, but because of her tail around his body and arm, he wasn't able to move much, let alone escape her. Lied rumbled in amusement as she watched Raven try to wriggle free, her 'hatchling' not able to free himself from her grip.

"Alright… I g-get it Lied…" Raven said as he stopped struggling, looking up at her with a smirk, "… no more pushing, faking or flicking…" he sighed in defeat, knowing Lied wasn't going to let him go until he agreed to the 'demands'. Lied grinned and growled loudly, her bladed silver teeth showing in her childish grin. Raven laughed at her expression, which made her smile broaden, enjoying seeing him happy. She loosened her grip slightly, her spined tail-tip sliding from his arm, giving him back some range of motion. She kept her tail wrapped firmly around his body, knowing the pilot well enough that, given the chance, he would try to flick her or cause trouble.

Lied smirked and leaned down, licking his cheek and purring loudly. Raven laughed and patted her snout with his freed arm, which made her growl happily and wag her spined tail-tip slightly. She cocked her head a little and nuzzled his shoulder lightly, before she licked his face again. Her 'hatchling' laughed and shook his head slightly, which made her smirk evilly as she saw another chance to get even with him.

Without so much as a warning, she tightened her tail around him and pulled him closer, making him yelp in surprise. Lied smirked evilly and ducked down, licking his face like an excited puppy. Raven laughed and squirmed within her grasp, smiling as she continued to lick him. Lied smiled broadly as she kept licking him, getting her 'revenge' on the human.

"O-kay!" Raven choked out, smiling as she licked him. Lied purred, uncoiling her tail from around him, careful to not shake the egg in Raven's lap too much. She licked his cheek again, before she sniffed at her egg, nosing the blanket wrapped around it. Raven put his hand on her muzzle. "Don't worry… Lied… you're egg will be fine…" he tried to reassure her, rubbing her snout. Lied purred and nosed his hand lightly, showing she understood him.

Raven withdrew his hand and leaned back against the wall, yawning. "I need… some more… sleep, Lied…" he said, his eyes closing. Lied looked up, and by that time, Raven was already asleep, his head down and eyes closed. Deciding he needed the rest, Lied stood up and climbed onto the old, warn bed, curling around her nest. Her two remaining eggs were covered and nestled into the faded green blanket, the chicks inside chirping and squeaking at her presence.

Lied nosed the top blanket off, exposing her two eggs. They moved slightly, the hatchlings inside becoming more and more active. Lied was beginning to realize that they were closer to hatching than she thought, and that Raven was in great danger. She pushed her nose against the shells of her eggs, feeling the pulses of the unborn chicks inside. Suddenly, the eggs began to move, a distinct tapping coming from them, cracks forming the surface of the eggs. The hatchlings were trying to free themselves from their shells, squeaking and chirping frantically.

The eggs had begun to hatch…

* * *

**AN**- uh oh… poor Raven is in trouble!! And Karl and Ibeyla are too far away to help him! So… what's Lied going to do? Is she going to decide to help Raven? Or allow her hatchlings to do what they want, and possibly hurt or eat Raven? You'll just have to wait for next chapter to see! ^^ Anyway, thanks for reading!! I hope you liked the chapter!! Please leave a nice review!! All flamers will be thrown into the Pit!! Thanks again for reading!!

And special thanks to Sparky for all the ideas!! :D

_**~Ibeyla ^^**_


End file.
